Strawberry Shortcake with Cream Biscuits, Jam, and Lemon Curd
Source: Heather Terhune, BDK Restaurant & Bar
Recipe Type: Desserts | Seasons: Spring, Summer
This recipe was demonstrated for CUESA’s Market to Table program on May 16, 2015.
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
Lemon Curd
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
¼ cup softened butter
Strawberry Jam
2 cups sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 cups sliced fully ripe strawberries (about 2 quarts strawberries)
Biscuits
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large egg
¼ cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
¼ cup buttermilk
Mint leaves for garnish
PREPARATION
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400ºF. Line a large heavy-duty baking sheet with parchment paper.
To make the curd: Whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl above a double boiler. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and an instant-read thermometer registers 160ºF, approximately 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture and refrigerate overnight.
To make the jam: Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook the mixture over a low heat for 10 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until the strawberries release their juices and the mixture begins to boil. Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool. Use now or refrigerate for later.
To make the biscuits: Sift the flour, ⅓ cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and the baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the salt. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and heavy cream with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cream mixture. Mix with the fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just comes together; it will still look a little shaggy. Gather the dough and gently knead it three or four times. If the dough seems dry and doesn’t form a cohesive mass, work in more cream, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. With a sharp 2½-inch biscuit cutter, press straight down to cut the dough into rounds and lift straight up to remove (don’t twist the cutter or it will seal the sides of the biscuit and interfere with rising). Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough scraps, gently knead them together, re-roll, and cut out more biscuits until you have a total of 6.
Lightly brush the biscuit tops with cream (about 1 tablespoon) and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake the biscuits, rotating the baking sheet once, until the biscuit tops are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the biscuits cool slightly before serving.
To serve: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of jam into each bowl or onto each plate. Lay the biscuit on top of the jam, spoon a tablespoon or so of the lemon curd over the biscuit, and garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
Photo by Ariana Vanrenen.
Farmers Market Ingredients