Franco American Shortcake Recipes

FRANCO AMERICAN SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Chill a medium-size bowl and a whisk or whisk attachment or rotary blades of an electric mixer (for whipping the cream).
• Slice the berries and place them in a large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons sugar and set aside.
• In a large bowl or the food processor combine both flours with the salt, baking powder, and 1/4 cup of the sugar and mix well. Add the butter and process or cut into the flour until it is ranges in size from coarse cornmeal to the size of a pea.
• Add the 2 cups of heavy cream all at once and mix until the dough gathers together but doesn't completely adhere. Turn it out onto a well-floured surface, dust it lightly with flour and press it down with a rolling pin until it is rectangular in shape and about 1/2-inch thick. Fold it in thirds like a business letter and turn it one quarter turn. Lightly flour and gently press it out again until it is an even rectangle about 1/2-inch thick, fold it in thirds and turn it another quarter turn.
• Cut the dough in half, horizontally. Lightly flour half and roll it into a very even rectangle measuring about 6 x 12 inches. Cut it in half, crosswise, then cut an x through each half to give 8 triangular pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/4-inch between them, and sprinkle them with the remaining sugar. Bake in the center of the oven until the shortcakes are pale golden and puffed, about 15 minutes. Slide the shortcakes off the baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
• Whisk the vanilla into the creme fraiche.
• To serve, place a shortcake in the center of a plate. Top with berries and a dollop of creme fraiche.

OLD-FASHIONED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch baking pan.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and milk in another bowl; stir into flour mixture until batter is just blended. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

AMERICAN STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Sift Flour and icing sugar into a medium bowl, cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl.
• mix and kneed well until mixture is quite smooth,.
• Add the egg yoke and two tablespoons of the cream - blend well.
• cover the dough with waxed paper and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Pre heat oven to 190c (375f). divide the dough into two equal parts and roll out each piece to about a 9 inch circle .
• A hint here is to roll it out between two pieces of greaseproof paper, no sticking and when its ready peel off the paper and turn upside down on baking tray and peel of the other paper.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown,.
• transfer one round, carefully to a cooling rack - and the other you cut immediately its out of the oven into slices - 10-10 slices and transfer the slices on another rack to completely cool.
• Hull and cut the strawberries in halves or thirds. beat the cream until its thick enough to stand on its own but still able to stir it.
• Fold the strawberries into the cream. Spoon mixture onto the centre of the shortbread - forming a pyramid, and place the slices around the piled up cream -- Simply serve.
• This can be prepared the day before and covered in cling film and kept at room temperature.