I’m not a fan of angel food cake or sponge cake for shortcakes; I prefer the texture and bite of biscuits, which I like to shape into small squares instead of large rounds. And I love gently roasted fruit. The long, slow roasting eliminates a lot of the water content of the fruit, concentrating the flavor and opening it up. The tangy crème fraîche in the whipped cream rounds out the flavors on the plate.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 on it¿s own or 12 as part of fourplay

　　

For the Shortcakes

2 1/3 cups (290g) all-purpose flour

　　4 teaspoons (16g) baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon (3g) baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon (2g) coarse salt

　　6 tablespoons (70g) vegetable shortening, cut into pieces and chilled

　　2/3 cup (156g) milk

　　1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, beaten

　　(makes twenty-four 1 1/2 inch squares)

　　

To Serve

2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted

　　Coarse pink salt

　　Slow-Roasted Strawberries (page 245)

　　Vanilla Whipped Cream (page 184)

　　

For the Shortcakes

Step 1

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse until the texture resembles fine crumbs. Whisk the milk and beaten egg together and pour through the feed tube, hitting the pulse button until the dough comes together evenly.

　　

Step 2

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a square. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

　　

To Serve

Step 3

Set the oven rack in the top position. Heat the oven to 450°F or 425°F on convection. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment.

　　

Step 4

Flour the work surface lightly and roll the dough into a square about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into twenty-four 1 1/2-inch squares and place on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with pink salt. Bake until risen and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

　　

Step 5

Serve the shortcakes warm, with the strawberries and vanilla whipped cream, and drizzle some of the berry maceration liquid on the plate.

　　

make it simpler

Step 6

You could replace the biscuits with refrigerator biscuits. Brush them with an egg wash (an egg and an egg yolk beaten together) and sprinkle them with sugar and salt before baking. Fresh berries or stone fruit is another option in place of the roasted berries.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__