Strawberry And Basil Cornmeal Shortcakes With Vanilla Whipped Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place strawberries in a bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar. Let stand to release juices, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork to cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Whisk together egg and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream. Slowly add mixture to dry ingredients; mix with a fork until dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; pat into a 6-inch square, 1 inch thick. Cut four rounds using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Whisk together egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cream; brush over tops of biscuits. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes.
• To make vanilla whipped cream, place remaining 1 cup cream and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat; scald, and remove from heat. Cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Scrape seeds into cream, and discard pod. Pass cream mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl set in a large bowl of ice and water. Let stand until completely cold. Transfer to a large chilled metal bowl; add confectioners' sugar. Whip by hand into soft peaks (an electric mixer can curdle the cream), about 5 minutes.
• To assemble, slice the shortcakes open while warm with a bread knife. Divide strawberries and liquid among bottom halves of shortcakes; top with large dollops of vanilla whipped cream and upper halves of shortcakes, and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. In medium bowl, stir cornbread mix, melted butter and egg until stiff dough forms. Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough in 6 mounds (about 1/3 cup each).
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix strawberries, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the basil. Let stand 30 minutes.
• In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. To serve, split shortcakes. Fill and top with strawberry mixture and whipped cream.

Steps:

• Bring 1 1/2 cups cream to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bruise large basil leaves by hitting repeatedly with the dull side of a knife, and stir into cream. Remove from heat, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steep for 25 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing solids to extract liquid. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 5 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, the baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers. (The largest pieces should be the size of small peas.)
• Whisk together 3/4 cup heavy cream, the eggs, and vanilla. Stir into flour using a fork until ingredients are moistened but not fully incorporated. (Do not overmix.)
• Turn dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and pat into a 9 1/2-inch circle. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
• Bake until light golden brown and just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, macerate strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup sugar, plus more if needed, depending on sweetness, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour.
• Toss berries with small basil leaves. Whisk basil cream with confectioners' sugar in the chilled bowl of a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Mound basil cream on shortcake. Spoon berries with juice over top.