Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake with Sweetened Flavoured Whipped Cream

This is the way my Mom used to make Strawberry shortcake, and I still do. Historically, strawberry shortcake was served when the wild strawberries ripened in the meadows. The shortcake was a rich biscuit dough baked in a round cake pan. This recipe was taken from Mrs. George Treadway's handwritten recipe book, dated 1898 and is now part of the historic collection in the museum at High River, Alberta.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2  cups flour
• 4  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup shortening
• 2⁄3 cup milk
• 4  cups strawberries
• 1⁄4 cup sugar

• Sweetened Flavoured Whipped cream

• 1⁄2 pint  whipping cream
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Sift flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt together.
2. Work in fat with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in milk gradually.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured board.
5. Divide into 2 parts and roll each part to fit a round cake pan.
6. Place first layer into lightly greased cake tin.
7. Brush the dough with melted butter, then place second layer over top.
8. Bake at 400f degrees for 20 minutes.
9. Reserve approximately 12 choice berries for the top.
10. Mash the remaining berries slightly, stir in sugar and place sweetened berries beween layers.
11. Cover the top layer with sweetened flavoured whipped cream and garnish with whole berries.
12. Note: The biscuit dough may be rolled and cut into round shapes as for tea biscuits, then split into halves for strawberry or peach shortcake.
13. Sweetened flavoured whipped cream: Beat the cream until thick.
14. Fold in sugar and vanilla.