I have noticed over the years that there are two philosophies for Strawberry Shortcake. There are the people who make Strawberry Shortcake with biscuits. And then there are those who make it with angel food cake or plain white or yellow cake. My mother belonged to the biscuit philosophy. She also made baking powdered biscuits when she ran out of bread and needed a quick bread to serve with a meal.
My mom and dad both considered baking powder biscuits spread with butter and drizzled with pancake syrup or dark corn syrup to be an extra-special treat.
Strawberry Shortcake Baking Powder Biscuit Recipe
3 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup milk
Measure the flour, shortening baking powder, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour with a fork until it resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in the milk to form the dough. If the dough seems too dry, add milk by tablespoons. If the dough seems too soft, add flour by the quarter cup.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for a minute or so. Then roll out to a half-inch thick and make biscuits with a biscuit cutter or donut cutter or round cookie cutter.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 or 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes about 12 to 18 biscuits, depending on the size of the cutter you use.
Strawberries
4 cups of fresh strawberries (or thawed frozen strawberries)
1 cup of sugar (or to taste)
Crush the strawberries. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Serve over baking powder biscuits and topped with whipped cream. Yum!