Strawberry Shortcake
After making this yesterday, I think that it will now be my annual recipe for the Fourth. It was very good and very easy. I doubled the shortcake part of the recipe.

First, hull and thinly slice 8 cups of strawberries and combine them with 6 T. of sugar. This should then be set aside for 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Shortcake
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. table salt
8 T. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup half-and-half plus 1 T.
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 425 degrees. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse flour, 3 T. of the sugar, baking powder and salt to combine. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and then pulse about 15 times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a medium bowl.
2. Combine egg with half-and-half. Pour egg mixture into bowl with flour mixture and combine with a large rubber spatula until big clumps form. Turn mixture onto a floured work surface and knead it lightly until it comes together.
3. Lightly pat the dough into a 9×6 inch rectangle (the dough will be 3/4 inch thick). Flour a biscuit cutter and cut out as many rounds as possible. (Cook’s Illustrated recommends a 2 3/4 inch cutter, but I will use a smaller one next time. I prefer smaller biscuits. They just look prettier.)
4. Place the rounds one inch apart on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with the beaten egg white and sprinkle them with the remaining 2 T. sugar. At this point, you can cover the shortcakes and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
5. Bake until shortcakes are golden brown, mine took exactly 12 minutes. Cool them about 10 minutes.

Split the shortcakes, top them with some of the berries and whipped cream.