What’s Cookin’?

Strawberry  Shortcake
Fruit: 
8 cups hulled strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches or plums
6 Tbsp. sugar
Slice the fruit
Mash 3 cups of fruit
Add sugar to mashed and sliced fruit and let set to let juices develop (30 minutes to 2 hours)
 Shortcake
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 Tbsp. baking powder 
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
8 Tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. half & half or milk
1 lg. egg white, lightly beaten 
2 Tbsp. sugar 
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position.  Heat oven to 425 degrees. 
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in bowl of food processor. 
Toss butter over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with flour mix.  Cut butter into mix with five 1-second pulses.  Continue cutting in butter with 1-second pulses until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal.  Butter bits should be no larger than small peas.  
Turn mixture into medium bowl. 
Mix beaten egg with half & half or milk and pour into flour mixture.  Combine with large rubber spatula until large clumps form. Turn mixture onto a floured work surface and knead lightly until it comes together. Pat dough lightly into 9” x 6” rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, being careful not to overwork dough. Flour a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter; cut out 6 rounds.
Place on baking sheet 1- inch apart.   Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. 
Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown.  Place on cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes.  
Split biscuits in half. To serve, spoon 1/6 of fruit over bottom, then top with whipped cream and biscuit top. 
 Whipped Cream 
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chill a 1 1/2 quart bowl and beaters for handheld mixer in freezer for at least 20 minutes. 
Add all ingredients to chilled bowl. 
Beat on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly double in volume – about 20 to 30 seconds.
Be careful not to overbeat or you will have sweet butter.  
I do hope you will choose to make whipping cream or at least use a canned dairy product.  
Resist using the one that is nothing but chemicals.