KIDS CAN MAKE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Kids Can Make Strawberry Shortcakes image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories dessert

Time 1h15m

Yield 12 mini shortcakes

Number Of Ingredients 16

Berries:
1 quart berries, hulled and sliced (can be done the night before)
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon
Biscuits (can be measured ahead of time):
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more flour for the work surface
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
Whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh mint, for optional garnish

Steps:

Make the strawberries first: Mix the sliced strawberries with the sugar and a squeeze of lemon in a large bowl. Set them aside, stirring a few times, until they are nice and juicy, about 30 minutes.
Make the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the cream. Add the lemon zest and juice. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it just forms a dough. Gather the dough into a ball and transfer it to a flour-sprinkled surface. Pat it into a 1/2-inch-thick circle. Cut as many mini biscuits as you can with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Gently press the scraps together and repeat. Arrange the rounds 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush them with more cream and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake them in the middle of the oven until they are just golden, about 12 minutes. Cool the biscuits while you make the whipped cream.
Make the whipped cream: Combine the cream with the sugar and vanilla in a sealable container. Whisk or shake with the lid on until soft peaks form.
To serve: Split the biscuits with a fork and spoon some juicy strawberries and whipped cream on the bottom halves of the biscuits. Place the top halves on top. Add more whipped cream and a mint leaf to each, if using.