I’m excited! Yes, about strawberry shortcake! You see today I found my forever strawberry shortcake recipe and I’m a happy, happy lady. I’ve tried other recipes, but they were all lacking and not memorable. When I tested this recipe, I went in skeptical, but once I made that shortcake dough, I knew this recipe was different. Once assembled, it was quite an impressive shortcake. The crumbly texture of the shortbread was exactly what I was looking for in a recipe. I’m still thinking about it today and my family is asking when I’ll make it again.
This is a recipe from Treebeard’s in Houston, TX showcased as a community pick on Food.com. When I read it I knew I would like it, but I didn’t anticipate I would love it. The shortcake is scone-like and it’s the perfect vehicle for the sauce. The whipped cream has sour cream so it cuts the sweetness of the strawberry sauce. It was a perfect bite. I didn’t adapt the recipe, but the baking time is too high. Recipe calls for 450°F for 15-20 minutes and at 16 they were a bit too golden and the bottoms browning. I adjusted the cooking time to 400°F in my recipe. I also used a cold pastry cutter instead of a food processor to mix the dough.
Confession: It was a Sunday afternoon and I didn’t want to wash a lot of equipment. The pastry cutter worked perfectly and it was still easy to make. Just pop it in the freezer for a few minutes as you get your ingredients out.
Start by making the strawberry sauce so the flavors have time to marry and the strawberries release their juices. Once mashed, refrigerate for an hour while making the cake.
Note: The addition of vanilla made the sauce fragrant without adding alcohol. The berries didn’t need my usual addition of Grand Marnier.
Using a pastry cutter, I cut up the strawberries for the sauce with the sugar and vanilla extract. 
I used a cold pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour, like you would a scone or pie crust.
In a Pyrex large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and 3 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Add the diced butter and using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until it is a sandy consistency with pea size butter throughout the dry ingredients. Add the milk and using a spatula or wooden spoon, combine all the ingredients well, but don’t over mix the dough.
It ends up looking like small pebbles throughout the flour. 
Add the milk and gently incorporate the milk and flour until the dough comes together. The key is not to over mix.
A 2-inch ice cream scoop will yield six perfect and even size shortcakes (almost wrote scones)! Dust them with the remaining granulated sugar and bake at 400°F for 15 -20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Note: The original recipe called for 450°F for 15-20 so I checked mine at 16 minutes and the bottoms were a little more golden than what I would have preferred. I adjusted the baking time in the recipe below to 400°F. Depending on your oven, they should be golden between the time frame allowed.
I used a 2-inch scoop to get 6 even mounds.
Sprinkle with sugar.
They came out beautifully golden and smelling incredible.
I made the whipped cream as instructed and soon began to construct my dessert! I cut the top off and spooned the strawberry sauce on the bottom, followed by a dollop of whipped cream and some of the remaining fresh sliced strawberries. I placed the shortcake top back on and dusted it with confectioner’s sugar! Oh my! What a delicious, delicious! dessert. (Emphasis on the second delicious). Just look at this picture below, don’t you want one?
Strawberry Shortcake a la Treebeard’s
Look no further, you just found the perfect Strawberry Shortcake recipe! Treebeard's in Houston shared their recipe and it's amazing! The shortcake is a cross between a shortbread cookie and a scone. It's the perfect crumbly vehicle for the sauce. The whipped cream has sour cream so it cuts the sweetness of the strawberry sauce.
Ingredients
STRAWBERRY FILLING
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced 2 pints
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
SHORTCAKE
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, diced
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
- ¾ cup whole milk
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup confectioner's sugar same as powdered sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream prefer Daisy's brand
Instructions
Strawberry Filling
-
In a medium bowl, mash half of the berries and mix with granulated sugar and vanilla extract. Refrigerate for one hour.
Shortcake
-
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt brown sugar and 3 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Add the butter and using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until you have a sand-like consistency with pea size pieces of butter in the flour.
Add milk and using a spatula or wooden spoon, combine with the dry ingredients. Once the dough forms, don't over mix.
Use a 2-inch scoop to equally divide the dough into 6 mounds and place them on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
Whipped Cream
-
In a chilled mixing bowl, beat the cream with the confectioner's sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract until it holds soft peaks. Add sour cream and beat until stiff peaks form.
Assembly
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Cut the top off the shortcakes and spoon filling onto bottom of each cake. Dollop with whipped cream and layer remaining sliced strawberries. Cover with shortcake top and dust with confectioner's sugar.
Can garnish with extra whipping cream, a strawberry slice and a sprig of mint.
