Oregon Strawberry Shortcakes
| Serves | 4 |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | strawberries |
| Menu Part | Dessert |
Nordstrom Restaurant Group
Seattle, Wash.
A locally sourced pourable fruit puree eases the execution and amps up the berry flavor of this quintessentially summer dessert. The kitchen at Nordstrom Restaurant Group bakes the tender shortcakes from scratch and tops them with fresh strawberries mixed with the fruit puree and billows of house-made whipped cream.
Ingredients
Shortcakes
12 oz. all-purpose flour, sifted
½ tbsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
3 oz. granulated sugar
3 oz. cold unsalted butter, diced into ½-in. pieces
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup raw or demerara sugar
Whipped cream
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Strawberries
1 lb. fresh strawberries, washed, destemmed and halved or quartered
4 oz. original strawberry pourable fruit puree
4 fresh mint sprigs
1 tsp. confectioners’ sugar
Steps
- For shortcakes, in bowl of electric mixer, combine sifted flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and granulated sugar. Add diced butter. With mixer fitted with paddle attachement, mix on medium-low speed until butter resembles pea-size pieces; do not overmix.
- In separate bowl, whisk together heavy cream, buttermilk and egg until smooth. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add buttermilk mixture. With rubber spatula, mix until ingredients are evenly incorporated and dough barely holds together.
- With 4-ounce ice cream scoop, portion dough into four 5¾-ounce mounds. Measure raw sugar into small bowl; press each dough mound gently into sugar to coat top, then slightly flatten and shape shortcakes into 2¾-inch rounds. Place shortcakes 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake shortcakes 22 to 24 minutes, turning once. Bake until edges become slightly browned; let cool before slicing.
- For whipped cream, in electric mixer with whisk attachment, whisk cream and sugar on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer to storage container; refrigerate until needed.
- Slice each shortcake horizontally in half. Spoon 1 ounce strawberry pourable fruit puree on plate where shortcakes will sit; nestle bottom of shortcake onto puree to secure.
- In medium bowl, toss halved strawberries with 4 ounces pourable fruit puree; spoon into bottom half of each shortcake. Spoon whipped cream on top of strawberries; place top of shortcake over whipped cream. Garnish with small dollop of whipped cream and mint springs. Dust each shortcake with confectioners’ sugar. Serve within the hour, at room temperature.
Photo courtesy of Oregon Fruit in Hand