Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

• 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 Jojo’s Biscuits (recipe follows)
• Homemade Whipped Cream (recipe follows) or good-quality store-bought whipped cream
• 6 small mint sprigs, for garnish

Jojo’s Biscuits:

• 4 cups self-rising flour, plus more for the work surface
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) salted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or grated
• 2 large eggs, beaten, plus 1 large egg for brushing
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, or as needed, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing

Homemade Whipped Cream:

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar. Set aside at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
2. Split the biscuits in half. Arrange the bottom halves on each of 6 plates.
3. Layer whipped cream and strawberries on each biscuit. Place the remaining biscuit halves on top. Garnish with mint. Serve.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are even and about the size of peas.
2. Stir in the beaten eggs with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk until the dough comes together into a sticky mass. If it is too dry, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until it reaches the correct consistency. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface. Use your floured hands to press it into a round roughly 14 inches across and about 1/2-inch thick.
5. Use a floured 2 3/4-inch round cutter to cut out about 20 biscuits. If necessary, collect and pat out the scraps to cut more biscuits.
6. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them so that they all are touching (see Cook’s Note).
7. In a small dish, beat together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Brush the mixture on the top of the biscuits.
8. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan on a rack.
9. Biscuits are best the day they are made (and ideally fresh out of the oven!). Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
1. In a large bowl, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy and the cream holds a soft peak when you pull the beater out of the bowl.
2. Use at once or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.

“Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering” by Joanna Gaines © William Morrow 2018. Provided courtesy of Joanna Gaines. All rights reserved.