Strawberry Shortcake

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, mix together the strawberries and sugar. Set aside in the fridge until ready to assemble cakes.

In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Add the butter and continue to pulse until all of the butter is cut in. Add the buttermilk and almond extract, and continue to pulse until a dough forms. Do not over mix.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for about a minute. Roll into a sheet that’s about 1/2″ thick. Cut dough into 2″ wide rounds (I used a cocktail glass for this) and place them on a silicone mat lined baking tray. Gather up the scraps, roll them out and cut additional rounds until you’ve used all the dough.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the water. Brush some of this egg wash on the tops of the biscuits. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cake tops are golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, and continue to beat until hard peaks form.

Cut each cake in half horizontally, and assemble with berries and cream between the bottom and top of the cake.

Makes a dozen shortcakes.

Recipe adapted from: Pioneer Woman and Bon Appétit.