Strawberry Shortcake Hour 1

3 pints fresh strawberries

 1/2 cup white sugar

 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 4 teaspoons baking powder

 2 tablespoons white sugar

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/3 cup shortening

 1 egg

 2/3 cup milk

 2 cups whipped heavy cream

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Directions

Slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.

Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.

In class, one method we learned about was the biscuit method. This consists of mixing dry ingredients together and then proceeding to cut in your choice of fat until small crumb-like pieces. You then must make a well in the middle for the wet ingredients and incorporate them until just combined. When I read this recipe, I was surprised to see that it indeed used the biscuit method instead of the creaming method. Following the recipe was pretty easy, but I accidentally didn't make a well when I added the wet ingredients. This didn't mess up the cake at all in the end. When it was baking, the cake smelled pretty good, but didn't seem like it would have any flavor. Once I took it out of the oven, I waited for it to cool and then proceeded to cut it in half. I then placed strawberries on one layer and put whipped cream on top and topped that with the other layer, which I then topped with strawberries and whipped cream again. Overall, the cake tasted really sweet, which I wasn't expecting since the cake itself was somewhat bland.