Franco American Shortcake Recipes

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.

THE BEST CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla in a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to use. Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal. Pour in the chilled heavy cream mixture and pulse until just combined.
• Lightly flour a work surface and dump the dough onto it. Pat out the dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut out as many biscuits as you can with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Then pat the remaining dough out to 1/2-inch thick again. Cut more biscuits; you should get 12.
• Put 6 of the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops generously with cream, then top each cream-brushed biscuit with one of the remaining biscuit rounds. (This makes it easier to split once they are baked.) Brush the top of each biscuit stack with more heavy cream and sprinkle 1 teaspoon granulated sugar on each biscuit.
• Bake the biscuits until golden and puffed, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, for the topping: Toss the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a medium bowl.
• Just before serving, beat the heavy cream, sour cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Split the shortcakes in half. Spoon half the cream on the bottom of the biscuits, top evenly with the strawberries and top with the remaining cream. Put each biscuit top on and serve.

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.