Strawberry Shortcake for Supper!

Every once in a while when I was growing up we'd ask "what's for supper?" and the answer would be "strawberry shortcake!"  My dad's favorite.  Which was the only reason it qualified as supper.  So, like any good daughter, I carry on this tradition and surprise my kids with dessert for dinner.

Tonight, however, the shortcake was actually dessert.  Marty grilled some steaks and some fresh Oceana County asparagus (rubbed with butter, salt, and tarragon), we tossed a salad (made with McLaughlin Grows greens), and enjoyed baked potatoes with backyard chives snipped onto the tops.  Grace & I had hulled (or "plucked" as she described it) a flat of strawberries, and since she begged we made some shortcake.  Having only ever made the Bisquick kind, and cupboards being free of Bisquick,  we Googled for a recipe using plain old flour and gluten (as Anna was away at GEMS camp).  Here's what we found...and loved!

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake - http://southernfood.about.com/od/strawberryshortcakes/r/bl00521b.htm

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter, chilled
2/3 to 3/4 cup half and half, milk, or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (Grace's addition...nice touch!)


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set rack at center level.

In a food processor (you can use a pastry cutter or fingertips) combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and pulse to mix. Cut butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, but with few pea-size chunks of butter left in the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the cream or milk, just until dough is moist. Be very careful not to overwork. The dough doesn't have to hold together well at this point. Let the dough stand for a minute. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over on itself (knead) 2 or 3 times, until it is holding together and is less sticky.

Gently pat the dough into a pie plate lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden brown.  OR, turn them into biscuits as the original recipe calls for below, which seemed like way too much work for us...Top with strawberries & grated nutmeg, and add a dollop of whipped cream if you've got it!

For biscuits:
Gently pat the dough into a 6 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick and cut into 8 (3-inch) biscuits with a floured round cutter. Transfer to a buttered foil-lined cookie sheet. Brush on a little milk or cream and sprinkle tops with some sugar, if desired. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Remove to a platter and split each biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife. Butter the hot buscuits then top with about 1/3 cup of berry mixture. Replace the tops and top with a tablespoon or so of berries. Serve with whipped cream for topping.
Serves 8.