Strawberry Shortcake Cups

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (my addition)
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 pint strawberry
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (we liked it with the almond extract) or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (we liked it with the almond extract)

Recipe

• 1 note: i think this could be prepared in mini-muffin tins. fyi.
• 2 heat the oven to 400 degrees. place a metal mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters in the freezer.
• 3 butter a 12-cup muffin tin.
• 4 in a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
• 5 use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture.
• 6 add the milk and stir until well combined. i needed to add about one more tablespoon milk to the dough.
• 7 turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• 8 divide the dough into 12 balls.
• 9 lightly flour the balls and place in a wax paper-lined tortilla press and press to 4 1/2" in diameter. if the dough is still too sticky, lightly flour the waxed paper. note: original recipe has you using a rolling pin, rolling the dough out to 1/4" thickness and cutting out rounds with a drinking glass. using the tortilla press was much easier for both adult and child.
• 10 place each flattened round in the buttered muffin tin. the dough should line the cup and come up to the brim. original recipes says to crimp the edges but i skipped that part.
• 11 bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are light brown. let cool in the pan before removing to a plate.
• 12 meanwhile, prepare the strawberries. wash and hull the berries and cut them up into either slices or small pieces (small pieces for our toddler). toss with the sugar and set aside.
• 13 to whip the cream, pour the whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl. using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until soft peaks form; approximately 2-3 minutes. add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds.
• 14 assembling the cups: fill each cup with a spoonful of whipped cream and top with a spoonful of the strawberries.
• 15 preparation time may take longer depending on the age of the child.