Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

This is another good shortcake recipe. As long as it's a biscuit-type shortcake it works for me. Even Bisquick shortcakes are good in my book. The whipped cream topping has strawberry jam in it, and it really sets it off nicely.

6 cups sliced strawberries
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

SHORTCAKE:
3 cups flour
5 Tbs sugar, divided
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs heavy cream

TOPPING:
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs strawberry jam


Combine strawberries with ½ cup sugar and vanilla. Mash slightly and let stand at least 30 minutes (longer is better to get more juice). Toss occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400º.
Whisk together flour, 4 Tbs sugar (¼ cup), baking powder, soda, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add buttermilk, stirring until just combined. 

Drop batter by ⅓ cupfuls 2" apart onto baking sheet. Brush with 2 Tbs heavy cream; sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbs sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

For the topping, beat heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the strawberry jam and beat to fully incorporate together.

To serve: Cut biscuits in half; top with berries and whipped cream.

How to Make the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Step 1.

Place eggs in a saucepan and fill with cold water. Water should just cover the eggs.

Step 2.

Bring the water to a boil on medium-high heat.

Step 3.

Turn the burner off and place a lid on the saucepan.

Step 4.

Set the timer for 13 minutes.

Step 5.

When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the hot water. Place them into a bowl of ice water. The ice water will stop the cooking process.

Step 6.

Allow them to cool and remain in the ice water for approximately 15 minutes.

Step 7.

Once the eggs are cool, start the peeling process by gently rolling the egg to break up the shell.

Step 8.

Once the shell is slightly crushed, start peeling.

Step 9.

When the entire egg is peeled, dip it in a small bowl of water or place it under running water to get rid of any excess shells.

Step 10.

The perfectly boiled egg with a nice and yellow yolk is ready to be used.

Tips to Hard Boiling Eggs

Do not overcrowd the pan with eggs. The number of eggs you can boil at once depends on your pot size. The eggs should be in a single layer and not tightly packed into the pot.

Using older eggs peel much easier than fresher eggs.

It's easier to begin peeling an egg at the larger part, rather than the smaller part, of the egg.

Make sure to place the eggs in an ice bath right away to stop the cooking process. This will also help the membrane to separate from the egg to make peeling easier.

Don't let the eggs sit around unpeeled. The longer they sit the harder they will be to peel.

Hard boiled eggs last about 5 days stored in the refrigerator.

Your Perfect Yolk

There are different opinions on how long to boil and egg. Some like their yolk on the softer side, while other's like it well done. We tested different times in the Test Kitchen and are sharing our results. Hopefully, it will help you determine what's the correct length of time to boil an egg for your perfect yolk.

Two Minutes: Whites are set and the yolk is very soft. If served warm, the yolk is runny.

Four Minutes: Whites are set. The yolk is very soft but not runny.

Six Minutes: The yolk is creamy but has set up.

Eight Minutes: Yolks are creamy and a medium firmness.

Ten Minutes: The yolks are firm and less creamy.

Twelve Minutes: The yolks have firmed up even more and are not creamy.

Fourteen Minutes: The yolks are extra firm and the green ring typically forms around the yolk.