Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
2 pints ripe, well-rinsed strawberries
½ cup sugar, or more to taste
1 tbp tawny Port wine
1 tbp lemon skin (use a micro plane if available)
4 cups flour
½ cup cherry tarts
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons baking powder
1¼ cups butter
3 cups whipping cream
1 cup mascarpone cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Pick over and hull strawberries. Cut in half or slice, depending on size. Gently crush about a quarter of the berries with a fork to release their juices. Mix with remaining berries and the ½ cup of sugar, lemon skin and port, adding more sugar if necessary. Set aside, covered, for about half an hour to develop flavor in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Into a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add ¾ cup of softened butter and rub into dry ingredients as for pastry. Add 1¼ cups cream and mix to a soft dough. Add cherry tarts. Knead the dough for one minute on a lightly floured pastry board, then roll it out to about ½-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut an even number of rounds - 2 rounds per serving.
Use a little of the butter to grease a baking sheet. Place half the rounds on it. Melt remaining butter and brush a little on the rounds, place remaining rounds on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and pull shortcakes apart. Brush the insides with some of the remaining melted butter.
Beat remaining cream until it thickens. Add vanilla, mascarpone cheese. Beat again just until soft, thick.
Place a bottom half of a shortcake on each plate. Top with a generous spoonful of mascarpone whipped cream followed with macerated berries. Add a spoon of mascarpone cream again, and cover with the other half, add a few more berries around and top with whipped cream., shake some sugar powder on top. Use the berry syrup for saucing the plate. Serve immediately.