Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake

• 240g plain flour sieved
• 75g caster sugar
• 150g unsalted butter
• Caster sugar for dusting

• 300ml double cream
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 400g punnet of locally grown strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with non stick silicone paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together, then gently stir in the flour or put all ingredients into a food processor and slowly pulse until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Using your hands gently squeeze the mixture in a ball and then remove onto a clean work surface and knead until you have a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 mins.
3. Remove the shortbread dough from the fridge and roll out between 2 sheets of clingfilm until the thickness of a 1 pound coin. Using a 7cm round cutter, stamp out the biscuits and place them onto the baking tray lined with silicone paper. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 mins or until the biscuit is still pale but has a golden hue around its edges.
4. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with caster sugar and allow them to cool on the baking tray until hardened.
5. Put the double cream, caster sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod into a bowl and whisk until the cream forms stiff peaks. Transfer this into a piping bag with a star nozzle.
6. When the biscuits are fully cooled choose one for the base and pipe small star shaped blobs of cream over the entire surface. You may find it easier to start from the edge and work inwards.
7. Gently cover the cream with slices of fresh strawberries and put one final blob of cream on top of the strawberries using it to stick down the next layer of shortbread. Repeat the step above with the cream and strawberry slices and finally top with a final shortbread disc. There should be 3 biscuits filled with 2 layers of cream and strawberries.