Strawberry Shortcake

NOTES

• Original recipe from The America's Best Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
• Serve with whipped cream or ice cream

INGREDIENTS

• 2 quarts strawberries (take a sturdy straw & poke up through bottom of strawberry to hull)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) COLD unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2/3 c. half-and-half
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• whipped cream or ice cream for serving

DIRECTIONS
1. Slice hulled strawberries (crush some with a potato masher if desired) and stir with 3 tbsp sugar. Let sit out at room temp about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, 4 tbsp (of the 6) sugar, baking powder, and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and cut into flour mixture with a pastry knife or two butter knives until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
4. In another bowl, lightly whisk the 1 egg (leave the egg white aside) and add milk. Stir into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until large clumps form. Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly until the dough comes together.
5. Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a 9x6-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter (2 3/4-inch), cut the dough into 6 rounds then reform dough and cut 2 more rounds. Place the rounds on a cooking sheet. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle tops with the remaining 2 tbsp sugar (I like using the larger turbinado sugar for the tops).
6. Bake 10-12 minutes or until just lightly browned. Let cook on a wire rack about 10 minutes before splitting in half and topping with strawberries and cream or ice cream then top of biscuit.