Independence Shortcakes

I made this dessert for the 4th of July yesterday. They are incredible. I knew I wanted to make something with strawberries since they are all over the grocery stores now. I stumbled upon this recipe on the James Beard website and it seemed simple enough. I was also very intrigued by the secret ingredient in the dough, hard boiled egg yolks. It sounded interesting and I thought I'd give it a try. This shortcake recipe turned out amazing, I could take down a few of those sweet biscuits in one sitting. They are rich, buttery, crumbly, and sweet all in a golden biscuit. They pair perfectly with the homemade whipped cream and strawberries, but I'm sure you could also pair these with other toppings or just eat them alone. The recipe said to cut the biscuits in half and fill with the strawberries and cream, but I thought it worked just fine piling the strawberries and cream then placing the biscuit on top. This recipe is so simple and will definitely be a go to dessert for me. 

James Beard's Shortcake
from James Beard Foundation


Shortcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
• 2 hard-boiled egg yolks, pushed through a small mesh sieve
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Fruit Filling:

• 3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved or quartered, depending on size
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Sift together the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the baking powder into a bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of the chilled butter pieces and, using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mix until it has the consistency of course crumbs. Add the sieved hard-boiled egg yolks and the cream; gently mix until it the dough just comes together.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and gently knead to make a smooth dough (about two or three turns). Pat down the dough to make a 1-inch-thick round. Using a lightly floured 2 1/2-inch-round cookie cutter, cut out 6 shortcakes. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of sugar. Place the shortcakes on a plate lined with waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Transfer the chilled shortcakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
4. While the shortcakes cool, prepare the fruit filling and whipped cream: place the strawberries in a glass bowl and add the sugar. Gently stir and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Whip the cream and sugar together in a medium bowl until the cream just begins to thicken.
6. Using a fork or serrated knife, cut the shortcakes in half lengthwise. Place the bottom halves on 6 plates and generously spoon the macerated fruit and juices over them. Top with a heaping dollop of lightly whipped sweetened cream. Top with the top halves of the shortcakes.