James Beard's Strawberry Shortcakes
Make it rain: Sift together the flour, sugar, and the baking powder into a bowl.
Cold butter, ready to get pinched in.
Pinch!
It should look like coarse crumbs.
The secret ingredient.
Crumbly cooked yolk adds just enough richness without weighing down or gumming up the dough.
You needn't be on edge, worrying you'll overwork the pastry. No tough cakes here: you've got insurance -- and it looks like a yellow Playdough beard.
This feels like a modern art comment on shaving.
That's cream. And now you're ready to mix.
Gently mix with a fork, until it the dough just comes together.
Dump it out on your floured board.
Knead a couple times, then pat-a-cake to an even thickness.
Flour your cutter (or juice glass) well, and cut straight down without twisting.
Exciting times.
Butter the tops, and sprinkle sugar too.
12-15 minutes later, you have shortcakes!
While they cool, macerate your strawberries in a little sugar so they get juicy.
Stir!
Whip some cream just to this point, no more.
What are you waiting for?
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Author Notes: In his twenty-plus cookbooks, James Beard never published his mother's shortcake recipe, which relies on a clever secret ingredient: hard boiled egg yolks. Lucky for us, he saw fit to share it with his friend Larry Forgione one night as the two were relaxing and talking food at Beard's townhouse. As Forgione tells it, Beard believed "there can be no dessert better, only fancier." Taste his version and you're likely to feel the same. From The James Beard Foundation, adapted from An American Place by Larry Forgione (Morrow, 1996) - Genius Recipes
Serves 6
- 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 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved or quartered, depending on size
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 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 coarse crumbs. Add the sieved hard-boiled egg yolks and the cream; gently mix until it the dough just comes together.
- 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.
- Heat 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.
- 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.
- Whip the cream and sugar together in a medium bowl until the cream just begins to thicken.
- 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.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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4 days ago OrchidGirl
These were tender and delicious. I had to add a bit more than the 3/4 cup of cream the recipe calls for to get the dough to bind together, however I live in a dry climate at altitude and recipes sometimes need adjustment.
2 months ago live4sun23
I didn't have heavy cream on hand so I used some full coconut milk instead and the shortcakes came out great!
9 months ago Carole Magness
I added a large pinch of salt to this shortcake dough; it didn't seem right that it hasn't any...
10 months ago Diapotpie
I agree! This is the best shortcake recipe I've ever made. My guests tonight were all raves. Thank you!
11 months ago SparkleDiana
The dough was so easy to work with, and the results are delish. We are having the leftovers for breakfast!
11 months ago em-i-lis
Emily is a trusted source on General Cooking.
This was totally great and received rave reviews! I sprinkled cinnamon on top too and included blueberries yesterday for a red, white and blue aesthetic! Marvelous!
11 months ago Anthony Back
This is my new go-to shortcake! Definitely merits genius status...especially for the summer.
11 months ago Anthony Back
This is my new go-to shortcake! Definitely merits genius status...especially for the summer.
11 months ago kins
Made this tonight with fresh strawberries from the Farmer's Market. I will never make another shortcake recipe again. So light on the inside and a little crispy on the exterior. Heaven.
11 months ago MrsBeeton
This is hands-down the tenderest, most delicious biscuit I have ever made. And I've made lots of 'em. This recipe gets five stars. Outstanding!!
12 months ago ShyLemons
i made these over the weekend and they were fantastic. i've never had a dough come together so easily, and they baked up beautifully. i can't wait to try this technique for savory biscuits!
12 months ago Weezie
Can't wait to try it !
12 months ago wellbraised
I made this last night, and it was AMAZING!! So good, in fact, my son had it for breakfast today, too! I couldn't find a sieve, so I grated the yolks through a fine cheese grater instead, and that seemed to be fine. I wonder if the application of sieved cooked yolks can be used in other recipes, any idea? Thank you for posting this amazing recipe!
12 months ago Galapagos
Genius it is! Thank you to Kristen, Larry Forgione, and to Mrs Beard. Served this for breakfast to friends visiting from out of town. Used yesterday's farmers market strawberries and whipped cream made with Snowville Creamery heavy cream. I may need to go eat another with a remaining shortcake. If you cut square cakes there's no waste (and bigger shortcakes).
12 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
Great idea! I've seen triangles too, and liked the looks of them.
12 months ago DAVILCHICK
I'm so not a baker and therefore very intimated by any recipe that calls for making your own dough but this one looked fairly straight forward so I gave it a try. I was a little nervous that the dough was too dry but when I tasted it, it seemed fine so I forged ahead. I'm so glad I did. So simple. So refreshing and light. So EASY. Plus, pushing the egg yolk through the sieve gave me all kinds of new ideas about using hard boiled eggs as a garnish! Thanks for this new dessert recipe. I'll definitely be making it again this summer!
12 months ago Kristen Miglore
Kristen is the Senior Editor of Food52
So glad to hear it!