Strawberry Shortcake with Buttermilk Biscuits

Hey Seattlites!  Spring has sprung and strawberries are in season at the market.

This is my first time making a classic strawberry shortcake from scratch.  Slightly sweet and flaky buttermilk biscuits are a great compliment to whipped cream and fresh strawberries.  The strawberries macerate in their own juices with a sprinkling of sugar.  Since I could not wait the hour suggested to allow for the natural syrup formation, so I ate my strawberry shortcake right away and enjoyed the extra tart taste. I also experimented and coated half of my biscuits with a little melted butter and sprinkle of raw turbinado sugar before baking for that extra little crunch.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake with Buttermilk Biscuits
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Makes about 7 biscuits
Ingredients

biscuits:   
    2 cups all purpose flour
    1 tablespoon sugar
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    10 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoons
    2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon chilled buttermilk

filling:
    2-pounds strawberries, hulled, sliced
    1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
    1 cup chilled whipping cream
    1 tsp vanilla

 Preheat oven to 375°F.
Using food processor combine sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add butter and pulse about 10 seconds until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add buttermilk until large moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball.  On a lightly floured surface or silpat, form ball into flattened disc about 1 inch in height.  Cut using biscuit cutter.  Reform remaining dough into ball and repeat until all dough is cut (makes about 7 3-in diameter biscuits). Transfer to baking sheet, spacing evenly.
Optional step: brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. 

Bake biscuits until tester inserted into center comes out dry, about 20 minutes.  Transfer biscuits to rack and cool until lukewarm. 

Combine strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Toss to coat and let stand until syrup forms about 1 hour.

Beat chilled whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar (to taste) in another large bowl until stiff peaks form.

Cut Buttermilk Biscuits in half horizontally.  Top each biscuit bottom generously with strawberries and whipped cream. Cover fruit and cream with biscuit tops.