Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, creator of Frontera gourmet foods, cookbook author and host of Mexico - One Plate at a Time.

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RICKMAIL - sign up for our email list From the Kitchen of Chef Rick Bayless

Recipes from the Test Kitchen - Desserts & Drinks

Frontera's Famous Strawberry Shortcakes

Makes 6 servings

Here's a spring/early summer recipe straight from Frontera's pastry department.  Rick and Lanie demonstrated this recipe last year at the Green City Farmers Market and it happens to be one of Lanie's favorite dessert recipes.  Our favorite is with strawberries, but it's delicious with any summer fruit and also great filled with your favorite ice cream.

Ingredients

For the shortcakes
1 3/4  cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4  cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (divided use)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2  teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick -  8 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1/3  cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk (divided use)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
1/4 cup grated semi-sweet or Mexican chocolate


For finishing the dessert
1 quart strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons (divided use)
1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions

1.   Make the biscuits dough.  Turn on the oven to 400 degrees.  Measure the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder and the salt into a food processor.  Scatter the chilled butter evenly over dry ingredients.  Pulse the processor 10 to 12 times (1-second pulses) until the butter is in tiny bits. Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and grated chocolate.  Pulse the processor 7 to 8 times until the soft dough just comes together.

2.   Bake the biscuits.  Turn out the dough onto a well-floured board and press together to form a disk that is 3/4 – inch thick.  The dough will be very moist.  With a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 4 biscuits.  Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.  Gently bring the scraps back together and pat out the dough again.  Cut two more disks and transfer to the baking sheet. Brush tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.  Bake for about 18 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned.  Cool.

3.   Fill and serving.  Thinly slice the strawberries and scoop into a medium bowl.  Gently mix in 1/4 cup of the sugar.  With an electric mixer, beat the cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar (using the whisk attachment if available) until the cream holds soft peaks.  Just before serving split each biscuit as you would a bagel.  Top the bottom layer with a generous dollop of whipped cream, spoon on a portion of the strawberries (and any of their juices), then set the top in place (or off slightly off to the side, to show off the strawberries more).   Sprinkle with powdered sugar and you’re ready to serve.

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