June 17th, 2010

Strawberry Shortcakes

I do love the individual, personal strawberry shortcake. Then you don’t have to pretend that you want “just a small piece.” You take your own, it’s a nice size — not too big, not too small — and there’s no false moderation. And it’s filled with strawberries, so it’s practically health food. And you can freeze the cakes either in raw rounds (and then bake them right from frozen when you need them) or after they’ve been baked (and just defrost on the counter). Now look at you. You’re a Gluten-Free Minute(wo)man. You’re a superhero!

Strawberry Shortcakes
Cake Ingredients
3 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, diced and kept cold
1 to 1 1/4 cups cream
1 extra-large egg, beaten

Filling Ingredients
1 pound (16 ounces) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1. To make the shortcakes, in a large bowl, add the flour, xanthan gum, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt, and mix until combined. Add the cold, diced butter to the dry ingredient mixture, and cut the butter in with a handheld pastry blender (or with two sharp knives) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs of butter covered in the dry ingredients. Be mindful not to touch the butter with your hands. You want it to stay cold, and your hot little hands will melt it.

2. Add 1 cup of cream, followed by the beaten egg, to the butter/flour mixture, and stir to combine. Squeeze together the dough. Add the remaining 1/4 cup cream by the tablespoon until the dough holds together well without being very sticky. You may or may not need the balance of the 1/4 cup cream.

3. Turn the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, squeeze the dough (covered in plastic wrap) together into a disk about 1/2″ thick. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour or until firm.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

5. Next, let’s make the strawberry filling, which couldn’t be easier. In a medium bowl, place the strawberries, sugar, and salt, and mix until well-combined. Allow the strawberry mixture to sit at room temperature as you complete the shortcakes.

6. Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and place it on your counter with the plastic wrap seam facing up. Open the plastic wrap to reveal the top and sides of the dough. Using a well-floured 4″ biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Re-form the disk with the scraps and cut more rounds with the biscuit cutter as best you can. Place the rounds, spaced evenly and about 1″ apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator until chilled and firm, about 15 minutes.

7. Once the raw shortcake rounds have chilled, place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and pale golden, rotating the baking sheets at least once during baking. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature, or close to it, right on the baking sheets. Once the cakes are cooled, with a large serrated knife, slice the cakes in the center, cross-section-wise. Remove the top of each cake, fill with the strawberry mixture, and replace the top.

Get ready for the oooooohs and ahhhhhhhs, you magician, you.

Warmly,
Nicole

 Posted In : GF Blue Plate Specials (Recipes), The Daily Shoestring
  Posted By : Nicole