STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE WITH CREAM BISCUITS

Prep Time:1 Hour
Yields: 10 Servings

Comment:
During strawberry season in Louisiana, trucks selling the sweet berries line the roads. Here, the fresh produce is combined with cream biscuits to create the most famous and most loved strawberry dish.

Ingredients for Macerated Strawberries:
1 quart strawberries, stem removed and sliced lengthwise
½ cup sugar or to taste
1 ounce strawberry wine

Method for Macerated Strawberries:
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine strawberries, sugar and wine. Mash with a potato masher or fork just until strawberries release their juices. Be careful not to mash to a pulp.

Ingredients for Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup powdered sugar

Method for Whipped Cream:
In an electric mixer, combine heavy whipping cream, nutmeg and cinnamon. Whisk on medium-high speed until mixture starts to slightly thicken. Slowly add sugar and beat until very soft peaks form. Take care not to create a stiff whipped cream. Set aside.

Ingredients for Cream Biscuits:
2 cups flour
1 tbsp double-acting baking powder
3 tbsps sugar or to taste
½ tsp salt
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup whole milk (for brushing tops of biscuits)

Method for Cream Biscuits:
In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Slowly add cream and stir mixture until it just forms a dough. Gather dough into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat dough into ½-inch thick sheet. Using a 2½-inch pastry cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. NOTE: A 4-inch or 1-inch cutter may be substituted. Gather scraps, roll remaining dough into ½-inch thick sheet and continue cutting out more rounds until all dough has been used. Brush tops of biscuits lightly with milk. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer biscuits to a rack and let cool 5 minutes. Split biscuits horizontally with a fork, arrange bottom halves on serving plates and spoon macerated strawberries evenly over each biscuit. Top strawberry mixture with whipped cream and place biscuit tops over cream. Serve remaining cream separately.