Three Layer Bars

Mom has been making these at Christmas time for as long as I can remember.  This makes a pretty big batch--enough to pass around on cookie platters and still eat them for weeks.  She usually cuts them into small 2 inch squares since they are pretty rich.

Three Layer Bars
Makes two 8 x 16 pans

First layer:
2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 teaspoon vanilla
80 graham crackers (one 2 lb box), ground into graham cracker crumbs
14 oz flaked sweetened coconut
3 cups finely chopped walnuts

In a large saucepan melt butter, and stir in cocoa and sugar until smooth.  Add milk.  Bring to a boil. Blend a little milk mixture into the eggs, stir, and return all the eggs to the milk mixture, stirring until slightly thick.  Add vanilla.  Stir in graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and nuts.  Press into two 8 x 16 pans.

Second layer:
1 1/2 cup butter
6 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons vanilla

In a bowl cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.  Blend in the milk and vanilla.  Spread over the first layer.  Chill 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Third layer:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
coarsely chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top

In a saucepan combine chocolate chips, butter, and milk.  Heat over low heat.  Stir constantly until smooth.  Spread over the second layer and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.  Chill.  Cut each pan into bars.

Mom's Holiday Butter Rolls

These are pretty much the perfect dinner roll, and don't need much introduction.  Mom usually makes a double batch for large family gatherings.  

Mom's Holiday Butter Rolls

Makes 24 regular or 16 large rolls.

Ingredients

2 rounded tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup water; warm (110 to 115 degrees F)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg; lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter plus 1/4 cup butter, melted; divided

Preparation

In stand mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile combine milk, sugar, 1 cup of butter in a sauce pan and heat until butter melts.  Cool this down a bit in the fridge until it is warm not hot, then whisk in egg and salt.  Pour into the stand mixer bowl with the yeast.  Gradually add 3 cups flour, one cup at a time; beating until smooth with dough paddle attachment.   (Mom says she may switch to the dough hook at some point, but couldn't remember.) Add remaining flour, beating to make a soft dough (dough will be slightly sticky).   Do not knead. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, divide dough into 2 equal portions, knead a few times times. Let rise about 10 minutes. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one dough half into a 14 to 16 inch circle.  Spread 2 tablespoons melted butter on the dough circle.  Cut circle into 12 wedges.  Roll up each wedge, starting at wide end. Place point-side down, 2-inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Curve ends to form a crescent shape.  Repeat with the remaining dough half and remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.  Rolls may be frozen at this point, see below for freezing instructions.  If baking immediately, cover loosely plastic wrap and let rolls rise in a warm place, until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake in the center of oven until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. 

Note: For make-ahead frozen rolls; mix, rise, and shape rolls as directed. Place on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet that will fit in freezer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, about 2 to 3 hours. Transfer rolls to a plastic freezer bag. Freeze rolls for up to 2 weeks, but no longer, because the leavening power of the yeast will begin to decrease.

To defrost and serve freezer rolls, place unbaked frozen rolls on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, until doubled in bulk, about 2 to 3 hour. The rolls may also be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.

Updates

In order to facilitate easy blog posting, I needed to move the blog one more time...which required a name change.  So from thesugaredpeach.com to thesugaredpeach.blogspot.com (which still exists but won't be updated), I am now posting here at blissedoutbaking.blogspot.com.  I kept the order of recipes the same as it has always been, and will try to add a recipe index in the near future.

Mom's Holiday Jell-o Salad

Gratitude to our midwestern ancestors for this gem.  Not the most sophisticated recipe on the blog, but so tasty! Great Grandma Millie made a version of this, as did Great Aunt Jan. My mother updated it a bit since we don't particularly want to eat Cool Whip these days.

Mom's Holiday Jell-o Salad

One large package of raspberry or raspberry/cranberry Jell-o

One 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in 100% juice

One 15 ounce mandarin orange in light syrup

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tb sugar

Strain pineapple and mandarin oranges in a colander over a bowl, reserving the juices.  Set aside. There will be about 2 cups of juice from the canned fruit.  

Pour the Jell-o mix into a big heatproof bowl.  Add 2 cups of boiling water and stir until dissolved. Stir in the reserved juice from the canned fruit.  Place bowl in the refrigerator until the Jell-o is slightly thickened.  Add the strained fruit and stir.  Place back in the refrigerator until almost set.  

Whip 2 cups of heavy whipping cream with the sugar until stiff but not butter.  When Jell-o is about like thick pancake batter stir in the whipped cream.  Pour into a mold and set overnight.  

Mom's Cheese Ball

This has been a holiday standard of my mother's for as long as I can remember.  We thought it was important that it be protected into perpetuity, so on the blog it goes.

Mom's Cheese Ball

16 ounces cream cheese
6 ounces sharp cheddar (Tillamook or Dubliner), grated
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2-3 cups of walnuts

In the food processor pulse walnuts to a fine or medium fine consistentcy.  Put into a shallow bowl or pie pan.  This can optionally roasted, but mom never does.

Wash out the food processor.  Add cheese and pulse and mix until smooth.  Scrape out the processor bowl into a medium bowl and chill about 45 minutes.  Lay out two pieces of plastic wrap in a "X" on the counter.  When workable, form the ball the cheese into a ball and roll in the walnuts.  Re-shape and re-roll in walnuts until its no longer sticky and holds together.

Put into center of the plastic wrap "X" and bring sides together on top and twist.  Add a ribbon or a tie.  Let set at least overnight for flavor to blend.  Serve with Breton crackers.

Zucchini Pineapple Muffins

Mom made these, and then I made these again three or four times right after Liana was born.  It was my favorite middle of the night snack when she was a newborn, but really they are great anytime.  They are moist and delicious, and keep for several days in tupperware.  Or they can be baked, frozen and thawed out in small batches.  Sometimes I'd have them cold, or sometimes in the microwave for 15 seconds or so.  Usually with butter and a glass of milk.   It's a great use for all the abundant zucchini this time of year, and is a nice variation from standard zucchini bread.   

Zucchini Pineapple Muffins

3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1 c. melted butter
2 c sugar (can be reduced a bit)
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. grated zucchini
1 large (20 oz)  can crushed pineapple, drained (original recipe called for a small can, but we like more)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nuts and set aside. Combine melted butter and sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition.  Stir in zucchini, pineapple and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients, stir to combine. Spoon into well greased muffin tins or muffin tins prepared with cupcake liners.  I usually use an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter to the pans. Bake 20 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.

Katharine Hepburn Brownies (Adapted)

There isn't really a reason to make any other brownie, because these are basically amazing.  I adapted it from Katharine Hepburn's family brownie recipe--reducing the sugar a bit, using chocolate chips instead of unsweetened baking chocolate and adding in unsweetened cocoa powder. 

One of my most favorite things on this magnificent earth is one of these warm brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with hot fudge. Seriously delicious.   

I usually make the batter in a two or four cup glass measuring cup since it can go in the microwave. This recipe is for an 8 x 8 pan, but can easily be doubled for a 9 x 13 pan.

Katharine Hepburn Brownies (Adapted)
9 brownies

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
4 teaspoon cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven 325 degrees. Place butter and chocolate chips in a 2-4 cup glass measuring cup, and melt in the microwave (30-90 seconds depending on your microwave).  This can be done in a double boiler if preferred. Stir to ensure all the chocolate has evenly melted.  Stir in cocoa powder and sugar.  Add 2 eggs, whisking after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Sprinkle the flour and salt over the batter, whisk in until smooth.  Add the optional nuts.  Pour batter into an un-greased 8 x8 pan. Bake 40 minutes at 325 degrees.

Hazelnut Torte

(Photo credit: Chava)

Another classic recipe, and a favorite of many.  This recipe isn't too sweet and has plenty of protein. 

Hazelnut Torte

Serves 8-12

2 1/2 cup hazelnuts

1 slice bread

8 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

2 cup heavy whipping cream

Powdered sugar

Raspberry jam

Preheat oven 300 degrees.  Prepare three 9 inch round cake pans: grease lightly with butter and dust with flour; cut out rounds of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pans.  (The parchment may not be necessary depending on your pan).  

Pour the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet with raised edges.  Roast hazelnuts in the oven until the skins begin to loosen.  Remove from oven, cool to touch and rub between your hands to remove as much skin as possible.  Set aside 13 nuts for decoration.  Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor.  Set aside 1/2 cup of the ground nuts for decoration.  Transfer remaining hazelnuts to a bowl.  Grind the slice of bread in a food processor and transfer to the bowl of hazelnuts.  Add the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla to the bowl.  In a separate bowl add the egg whites and beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the other 1/2 cup sugar to the egg whites and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the hazelnut mixture.  Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans.  Bake 20 minutes at 300 degrees.  Cool and remove from pans.

To finish beat the whipping cream and add powdered sugar to taste.  It should be stiff enough to spread, but not so stiff that it is lumpy.  Place a layer of cake down on your serving platter and spread the cake with a generous layer of raspberry jam.  Spread a layer of whipping cream.  Repeat with the other two layers of cake--spreading first with jam, then whipping cream.  Frost the top and the sides of the cake with whipping cream.  Pat the reserved ground nuts around the sides of the cake--it should stick to the whipping cream.  Decorate the top with edible flowers and the 13 reserved whole hazelnuts.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Welcome to the new (free) home of thesugaredpeach blog.  I've moved all the recipes and photos over from the old blog.  I've decided to upload more recipes with or without photos...just so that we have them available.  I will add photos organically as it becomes convenient, but honestly it's been a barrier to posting new recipes.  I would love to crowd source some of the photography, so if any of you take any great pics of the recipes, please email, text or instagram them and I will add them to the blog entry...

Here is the recipe for another one of my go to delicious cookies.  The recipe hails from my time in The South...like the type of cookie you might eat on a covered porch with cool glass of lemonade. But it's just as good in Sequim with a glass of milk...

You can make a lot of delicious variations to this recipe.  Additions might include chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, shredded coconut, walnuts, pecans, dried cherries, dried cranberries or almonds.  The classic combination is semi sweet chocolate chips and pecan, but I also really enjoy sour dried cherries and chocolate, as well as coconut, pecan & chocolate.   Keep the additions around 3 cups total, but I've certainly done closer to 4 cups at times.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

4 dozen

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cups pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Sift flour with salt and baking soda.  Add sifted dry ingredients and oats to the butter mixture.  Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.  Add the chocolate chips, pecans and/or any other additions, mix on medium for another 10 seconds.  Drop cookie dough in generous tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

Mount St. Helen's Pancake

Here is one for the siblings–one of our childhood breakfast recipes, named by our mother for the 1981 erupting volcano because of it’s puffiness.  It’s not quite a dutch baby or a German pancake, and is definitely different than the Blueberry Pear Oven Pancake I’ve previously posted…more buttery, no fruit and usually served with maple syrup.  It’s super quick and easy, and is more of a weekday affair than a company brunch recipe.

I’m back from another posting hiatus–this one due primarily to the three month hyperemesis gravidarum apocalypse that was my first/second trimester.  But I’ve been feeling great for the past month or two, and still found myself with barriers to posting.  So I’ve also decided to try taking photos on my phone, since borrowing the fancy camera and editing in LightRoom has proved too be too much of a barrier.   The phone really limits my ability to edit and crop properly, hence the wonky cropping in the above two.  Not quite up to my standard perhaps, but probably better than not posting at all… I’ll keep experimenting with photo editing apps, but in the meantime…

Mount Saint Helen’s Pancake

One of my mother’s recipes

Makes 9x 13 pan, serves 4-6 depending on appetite

4-5 eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Whisk all ingredients together, pour batter into a 9 x13 pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Serves hot with maple syrup.  You can cut the recipe in half ( use either 2 -3 eggs instead) and bake for the same amount of time, at the same temperature in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan.

Moroccan Chermoula Sauce over Pan Fried Fish Fillet

You may have noticed the paucity of seafood recipes on this blog–mainly owing to the fact that I’m not a fan.  I wouldn’t eat anything “fishy” for the first two decades of my life, and have only recently found a few recipes I can tolerate.  This traditional Moroccan sauce is pungent and citrusy, and adequately covers any trace of fishiness.

And though I haven’t tried it yet, I expect I would like actually prefer it on a chicken, thus avoiding the fish altogether.  The recipe is from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden.  She shares that every town and every family has its own special variation of chermoula.  I’ve included my favorite below, but it is definitely a recipe that can be further adjusted to taste.

Moroccan Chermoula Sauce with Pan Fried Fish Fillet

Serves 4

For the sauce:

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin (I prefer less)

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground chili pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

Put all the sauce ingredients into a food processor and blend until there are no large chunks.  Salt to taste. Set aside and prepare the fish.

For the fish:

2 pounds white fish fillets such as turbot, hake, cod, etc

At this point you can either marinate the fish in half of the chermoula sauce for 20-30 minutes, or you can dredge it in flour.  I attempted to marinate it and then dredge in flour once, and it got a little messy– though still tasty.  The photos show fish that has been dredged in flour and not marinated.  In any case, heat a large (nonstick) skillet with olive oil over medium heat.  Cook, turning fillets once, for 3-8 minutes total, or until the fish begins to flake.  Serve with the remaining chermoula poured over top.

Strawberry Caprese Salad

I took these pictures during the height of strawberry season, but have obviously been slightly tardy in my posting. I enjoyed this salad, and variations of it all summer…strawberry-basil, strawberry-cucumber-lemon-basil, blueberry-peach…all with fresh mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic.  The blueberry peach version packs the best, and is great to carry to work.  I generally don’t measure the olive oil and vinegar, just drizzle it on, but have given rough estimates below.  Super quick, super tasty!

Strawberry “Caprese” Salad

Serves 1

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, bite sized type or large type torn into pieces

1/2-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Optional:

1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped bite size

1-2 basil leaves, chopped

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Salt & Pepper

A little sugar if your fruit is sour

**For the blueberry peach version, I typically use 1 extra large peach, sliced and about 1/2 cup blueberries instead of strawberry and only use balsamic, olive oil and a little sugar as dressing.

Toss all desired ingredients together and serve.  If nice to sop up the juice with piece of baguette…

Frozen Chocolate Mousse Torte

Flourless chocolate cake meets chocolate mousse meets ice cream cake.  It’s awesome and it’s been too long since I’ve made it.  It’s one of my mother’s recipes, and I think she originally sourced it from a nameless tiny cooking magazine several decades ago.

The ingredients are pretty simple, but the recipe is slightly annoying given the shear number of bowls you dirty in the process (one for egg whites, one for melting chocolate, one for egg yolks, one for whipped cream…).  The top and bottom layers are nearly the same, except the bottom is baked and the top has whipped cream folded into it.  There is a thin layer of raspberry preserves spread between the top and bottom layer.

Be sure to start it early enough to allow time for it to freeze before serving–better yet make it a day or two in advance.  Since the top layer is not baked, it does contain raw (albeit frozen) eggs.

Frozen Chocolate Mousse Torte

Serves 10-12

8 eggs, separated

1/8 tsp cream of tartar (okay to leave it out if you don’t have it)

1 cup sugar, divided

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (in a double boiler or in the microwave)

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 c raspberry preserves

1 cup whipping cream

Optional: fresh raspberries, mint leaves for decoration

Heat oven 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan.  In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form; set aside.  In another large bowl beat the egg yolks with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar for about five minutes.  They will be fluffy and lemon yellow.  Add the vanilla and melted chocolate, fold together.  Next, fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate batter.  Once it is well combined, pour half of the batter into the prepared springform pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Refrigerate the remaining batter while the bottom layer is baking and cooling.

Once the bottom layer is cooled, spread with the raspberry preserves.  Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipping cream into the remaining refrigerated chocolate batter.  Spread over the raspberry preserves.  Cover the torte with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or until firm.  Shortly before serving, remove the sides of the springform pan.  Arrange optional fresh raspberries in a band around edges of the torte as well as a few in the center with the sprigs of mint.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Homemade hollandaise sauce is a thousand times more satisfying than anything out of a jar, packet or can.  It takes less than five minutes, and is essential for Eggs Benedict.   It’s also great on artichokes, asparagus, green beans, or plain poached eggs.  We went through a lot of hollandaise during the holidays, often preparing several cups at a time–though in our defense there were 16 people at most meals.  I’ve done the double boiler method a bunch, and am pretty good at it, but its more finicky than the blender method.  So if you have a blender, and are making at least a cup of sauce, this is my recommendation.  Quick disclaimer about the sauce in these photos–I added a little too much water and thinned it more than I usually do.  I will improve the photos next time I have good lighting and a thicker sauce…It was still super tasty in its thinness.

When not with my massive family, I sometimes need a smaller quantity of sauce, and I’ve included that version below as well.  And I know it sounds completely blasphemous to use microwave and hollandaise in the same sentence.  But, my older brother convinced me to try it, and I’ve had good results.

Time Out For Safety.  If you are feeding pregnant ladies, children, elderly or immunocompromised individuals you may worry a little more about salmonella.  For the rest of us, salmonella is unpleasant, but probably won’t cause our death.  We used to only worry about cracked eggs, but it turns out that yolks can be infected even in intact eggs as its transferred directly from the mother chicken’s ovary (probably more than you wanted to know….)  Anyway, the lemon juice puts the sauce at 4.15% acid in aqueous phase with a finished pH of around 3.8, which can help destroy salmonella by itself.  However, if you are using the utmost caution, then you’ll want to mix the yolks and lemon together in a double boiler, and whisk it constantly until it reaches 150F on an instant thermometer.  Diluting the egg yolks with the acidic lemon juice before heating will help prevent the yolks from coagulating while you raise them to the necessary safe temperature.  You can then proceed with the recipe normally.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Makes 1 cup

3 egg yolks

1 1/2-2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup hot melted butter (foamy not browned)

Optional additions: dijon mustard, cayenne, fresh herbs, etc

Place egg yolks,  lemon juice,  and salt into the jar of a blender.  (The sauce in the photo is very thin, and probably had 3-4 tablespoons of water...it should be left out...will update the photo at some point). Blend for a few seconds.  Remove the inner portion of the blender lid, turn the blender on high and begin pouring a slow, steady stream of butter to the egg mixture.  Continue blending until all the butter is poured in–about 30 seconds–and the sauce should be done.  At this point, you can add a little more lemon to taste, a bit more hot water to thin it out if needed, or optional flavor additions-just blend for a few more seconds after the additions.

Microwave Hollandaise for One or Two

Just shy of 3 tablespoons of butter (2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons)

1 egg yolk

2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt

Put the butter in a two cup glass measuring cup,  and soften the butter in the microwave for a few seconds.  In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and lemon juice.  Stir the egg mixture into the softened butter and allow to rest for one minute.  Microwave on high, stopping every 15 seconds to stir, until it is thick and smooth.  It may be lumpy at first, but keep stirring and cooking.  It will probably take 30 seconds-1 minutes total depending on your microwave.  If your microwave is crazy strong, stop every 5 seconds or turn it down to 60% power.  Salt to taste and adjust lemon juice.

Strawberry Shortcake

Having now completed my doctoral degree, I am so happy to have a bit more free time again.  I’ve been meaning to post this strawberry shortcake recipe for over a year, and actually did the photography when strawberries were in season.  I have a few more postings backlogged, and don’t want to withhold them any longer.  So, enjoy pictures of strawberry shortcake, completely out of season.  You can look forward to making it in June…

In the recipe you crush around one quarter to one third of the strawberries, and slice the rest.  You can see them combined above, which creates a delicious glazed strawberry concoction that will soak into the shortcake biscuits.

The shortcake are rich, slightly sweet, and best served still warm.  I like to dip my shortcake in sugar before baking them–sometimes with regular sugar, sometimes with a larger crystal like demerara.

Strawberry Shortcake

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Serves 6

Strawberries

About 2 pounds strawberries, washed and hulled (I usually just get two 1 lb clamshell containers)

1/3 cup sugar

Shortcake

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar, plus another 2-3 tablespoons for dipping

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon half-and-half or milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the strawberries: Crush one quarter of the strawberries in large bowl, using a tool like a potato masher.  Slice the remaining strawberries, and add to the crushed berries.  Stir in the sugar, adding more if your berries are sour.  Allow the mixture to marinate at room temperature for at least a half hour, and up to 2 hours.

For the shortcake biscuits:  Preheat the oven to 425.  Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until mixed.  Scatter in the butter pieces and pulse into a coarse meal.  Add the milk and egg, pulse until just combined.  Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured counter and bring the dough together into a ball. Pat into a 9 by 6 rectangle, about 3/4 inch thick.  Find a biscuit cutter or top of a glass that is around 3 inches, and cut dough into 6 rounds.   Pour a little sugar onto a small plate and dip one side of each shortcake in sugar, replenishing sugar as needed.  Place biscuits on a baking sheet, sugar side up and bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow biscuits to cool slightly before serving.

For the whipped cream: Add whipping cream, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of standmixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip for about a minute on medium speed, then increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form.

To assemble, split each warm biscuit in half on an individual serving plate.  Spoon 1/6 of the strawberries onto each biscuit, and top with 1/6 of the whipped cream.  Enjoy!