strawberry shortcake

I am totally in love with this recent painting by Jacqueline Gnott.  What could be more perfect in my green and red kitchen?  You can start bidding on ebay tonight.

It reminded me that I had promised a reader that I would post my favorite Strawberry Shortcake recipe.  It is from The Gourmet Cookbook.  

3 pints strawberries (2 1/4 pounds) hulled and quartered

1/3 cup granulated sugar, or to taste

1 cup very cold heavy cream

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 cream Biscuits

Gently mash strawberries with granulated sugar in a large bowl with a potato masher just until berries release their juices, beith careful not to crush them to a pulp.  Let stand at room temp, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

beat heavy cream, sour cream, and confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until cream hods soft peaks.  beat in vanilla.

split biscuits with a fork and arrange bottom halves on eight plates.  spoon strawberry mixture over them.  top with some whipped cream and arrange biscut tops on cream.  serve remaining cream on the side.

cream Biscuits:

2 cups white lily or all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups heavy cream,plus additional for brushing

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425 F.  Lightly butter a baking sheet.  

sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.  add cream and stir just until a dough forms.  gather dough into a ball and gently knead 6 times on a lightly floured surface.

Pat dough into a 10-inch round.  cut out as many rounds as possible with lightly floured cutter and invert rounds onto buttered baking sheet.  gather scraps, pat our dough and cut out more rounds in same manner for a total of 8 rounds.  brush tops of rounds with cream and bake until pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes.  transfer biscuits to a rack to cool.