Strawberry Shortcake

There is nothing that announces the arrival of summer better than Strawberry Shortcake. For me, it’s absolutely necessary to only make this recipe with locally grown Oregon Hood Strawberries. Don’t even bother with those giant California industrial berries. If you’ve ever been to Ontario in east LA you’ll know what I mean. Every time I eat strawberry shortcake it makes me think of the hay harvest. My mom would prepare these giant spreads for the crew and there was always strawberry short cake.

Shortcake Biscuit

2C flour
2T sugar
3½ t baking powder
½ t salt
¼ C butter
¼ C shortening
¼ C sour cream
¼-½C milk
3 T

Berries
4 pints fresh local strawberries
¼ C sugar
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T vanilla bean paste, you can substitute with 1 T vanilla extract

Whipped cream
1 Pint heavy whipping cream
1 t sugar
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400°. Shift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cut the cold butter and shortening into the flour mixture. Lightly mix in sour cream with fork. Add just enough milk to make a soft dough. Roll out ¾” thick on a lightly floured surface. Spread with remaining butter. Fold dough in half and roll out to ¾”. Cut out biscuits with biscuit cutter or just cut the dough into wedges. Place biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet and prick with fork. Bake 20 minutes till golden brown.

For the berries wash and slice the berries into a medium bowl. Mix in sugar, balsamic vinegar and vanilla. Let the berries macerate for an hour.
To assemble the desert split the biscuits in half. Spoon strawberries over and finish with a dollop of whipcream.