Strawberry-Almond Shortcakes

2005 recipe of the year from the San Francisco Chronicle.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• The Shortcakes

• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup cake flour
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1  cup  sliced  blanched almond
• 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  cold unsalted butter, diced (plus)
• 2  tablespoons  cold unsalted butter
• 3⁄4 cup half-and-half (plus)
• 2  tablespoons half-and-half
•  coarse sugar, for tops cake or  granulated sugar

• The Strawberries

• 6  cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 3 -4  tablespoons sugar (to taste)
• 4  tablespoons  torani strawberry syrup or 4  tablespoons  raspberry flavored syrup
• 1⁄2  grated meyer lemon, zest of

• The Cream

• 2  cups heavy whipping cream
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. To prepare the shortcakes: Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat; preheat the oven to 425 degrees f. Sift the flours and baking powder into a bowl.
2. Combine 3/4 cup of the almonds and the powdered sugar in a food processor and whir into a fine grind. Add the flour mixture to the almond/sugar mixture and whir to combine. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse it in until you have a cornmeal-like consistency. Add the half-and-half all at once and pulse until just combined. You should have a spoonable biscuit batter.
3. Drop 1/4-cup mounds onto the lined baking sheet to form 8 individual shortcakes. Sprinkle coarse sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup almonds over the cakes, gently pressing them into the dough. Place in the oven and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the almonds are golden-brown and the cakes are done in the center. Remove to a rack. Although these are best freshly made and warm, they can be served at room temperature or you may wrap them in foil and refrigerate or freeze them for later.
4. To Prepare the strawberries: Combine the strawberries, sugar, syrup and zest. Set aside to macerate for 1 hour.
5. To Prepare the cream: Pour the cream into a cold mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla. Beat only until the cream begins to hold its shape. Do not take it to the stage where the whisks leave tracks. The cream should drape.
6. To serve: Split the shortcakes horizontally and place on serving plates. (If they have been frozen, warm them in the oven before using.) Spoon the prepared strawberries onto the bottom halves- including plenty of juice- pile on the cream and finish with the top halves of the short-cake (almonds ontop). drizzle some strawberry juices around the plate.