the real this time, not just the cookies! this is probably one of my favorite things.

the strawberries have been HUGE lately. they’re fun to look at, but i actually like the tiny ones better. (i know, i know, that’s what she said.)

recipe from martha’s website

serves 8

ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds (6 cups) strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar; let sit to bring out their juices.

2. In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal but with some pea-size bits of butter remaining, 10 to 12 times. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cream and the eggs; pour over flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form, 25 to 30 times.

3. Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough, 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 1 1/2 cups cream and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vanilla until soft peaks form.

5. Slice biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon strawberries and their liquid over bottom halves. Spoon whipped cream on strawberries, and replace top halves of biscuits.

ps: i added to my plethora of cooking scars battle wounds while baking the shortcakes. i took the baking sheets out of the oven, put them on the stove, and bent over to reach down to pick something up. my upper arm hit the baking pan, and i almost heard a sizzle. i now have a nice puffy burn across my arm. i didn’t think it looked too bad until my boss asked me if i got in a knife fight. below is a picture i took on my crappy cell phone camera. nice, right?

yay for strawberry season! while i haven’t gone to pick my own yet, i really can’t wait! there’s a “pick your own….” farm really close to my parent’s house where i grew up. i remember driving down the street and seeing all of the strawberry pickers out the window. my dad and my sister (only one sister at the time, sorry lynz!) made up a song that we used to sing whenever we’d go by:

“butts and elbows, knees and toes, KNEES AND TOES! butts and elbows, knees and toes, KNEES AND TOOOOOOES!” (to the tune of head and shoulders, knees and toes.)

anyhow, it brings back good memories, and there’s nothing better than biting into a hot strawberry straight off the vine. since strawberries are pretty cheap right now, i decided to make these, just because they looked pretty interesting and i was curious.

the dough was awesome. so pretty.

and the recipe:

strawberry shortcake cookies a la martha stewart

makes about 3 dozen

ingredients:

• 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

these were really good right out of the oven. today they’re a bit more biscuit like than cookie like, but still really fresh and delicious. i might have baked them a bit more if i had to do it over to try to get them a little crispier on the outside.

definitely worth trying for strawberry season!