There’s no getting away from the truth, and the truth that must be acknowledged is that I make the greatest strawberry shortcake imaginable. I’m not saying I’m the only one who can make it, I’m saying it’s impossible to do better. I’m not try to butter my own bread or spread my own shortcake jam. I’m only making the point that if there were any competing strawberry shortcake franchises on my block, they would be vanquished. Key number one, obviously, is fresh strawberries: Mix them with just a little sugar to bring out their natural sweetness. (I would like to grow strawberries in the garden, only because it means I wouldn’t have to wash them; the washing subdues much of the flavor you get from the strawberry pores, and you have to make up for it with sugar.) The other important point is to follow the simple instructions in Joy of Cooking, mashing up a fourth of the strawberries and mixing strawberry halves with the puree, combining the textures into an amalgam of berries and juice. For the biscuits, I make simple cream scones and it takes five minutes. Why anyone would try to improve on this by attempting a fancy strawberry tart is beyond me. But, as I was saying, you want the biscuits to be just out of the oven, so you have a contrast between the cold berries, the warm crumbs, and the dollop of cream. I make them open-faced. I don’t know why anybody would put another sandwich half on the shortcake, because in that case you wouldn’t be able to see the strawberries, which are pretty.
(Photo: Backyard roses, Silver Spring, Maryland.)
365 Days of Food 