ITALIAN-STYLE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Italian-Style Strawberry Shortcake image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 1h

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Butter, for greasing pan
Flour, for dusting
One 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, stems removed and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, seeded
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, plus more for garnish

Steps:

Block of bittersweet chocolate, for shavingPreheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 2 sheet trays.
Flour your work surface. Roll out each puff pastry sheet to a 14-inch square. Use a biscuit cutter to cut into 4-inch rounds. Place on the prepared sheet tray and prick with a fork. Bake the pastry until golden brown and puffy, about 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Remove and let cool. Once cool, slice each puffed round into 3 horizontal pieces.
Meanwhile, add the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice to a medium bowl and toss. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so the juices develop.
When ready to serve, add the heavy cream to a large bowl and add the seeds of the vanilla bean. Beat, using a hand mixer, until it thickens. Add the powdered sugar and beat until soft peaks appear.
To assemble, add a nice dollop of whipped cream to a dessert plate. Top with strawberries and a round of pastry. Repeat the layers, ending with the pastry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, top with chocolate shavings and serve immediately.