Serves 8

I’ve converted this Martha Stewart recipe to one that uses a by-hand method rather than a food processor. This by-hand method will produce the lightest biscuits you can imagine – and I mean you, Martha.

1. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with ¾-cup sugar; let them stew in their own juices for a while. You can do this in advance if you like, and keep the berries in the fridge, for several days. 2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, ½-cup sugar, and the salt until combined. Add butter, and cut with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal but with some pea-size bits of butter remaining. It’s hard work; man up. 3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Measure ½-cup cream in a 2-cup measure. Add eggs; whisk. Pour over flour mixture, and stir gently with a wooden spoon until no dry material remains. Using ⅓-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough,^[1] invert, and then tap out onto a baking sheet. Repeat to form 8 biscuits. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. 4. Beat remaining 1½-cups cream and 2 Tbs sugar with the vanilla until soft peaks form. 5. Slice biscuits in half horizontally.^[2] Spoon strawberries and their liquid over bottom halves. Spoon whipped cream on strawberries, and replace top halves of biscuits.

If you don’t need six servings, it’d be easy to halve this recipe. However, I suggest making the full batch of biscuits and halving the berries and cream. You can store the extra biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container and they’ll keep well for several days. Nuke them (10 seconds for a single biscuit) and top them with butter and jam or drizzle them generously with honey.

Strawberry Shortcake Notes