Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

The Old Doctor's Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipes Are Tops

Shortcake, Sweet, with Soda

Flour, 3 cups; butter, 3 tablespoonfuls; sour cream, or rich clabber (milk becoming thick), 1-1/2 cups; 1 egg; sugar, 1 tablespoonful; baking soda, 1 teaspoonful; salt, 1 teaspoonful. Directions: Dissolve the soda in a little warm water and add it and the beaten egg to the milk; having put the salt in the flour, cut the butter in small pieces, and work it in smoothly also; mix all, handling as little as possible. Roll quickly and bake in a hot oven. The soda and sour cream will take care of the rising.

Shortcake, Plain, from Light Dough

Prepare the dough as for biscuit, doubling the amount of butter; roll out to make a cake of good thickness; let rise and bake in a quick oven.

Strawberry Shortcake, in Layers

Make the cake as for the sweet [shortcake] above, but roll in 2 sheets, 1/2 an inch thick for the upper, the lower less; spread a very little butter upon the thin one, placing it in the pan, put the other upon it, and bake. When a little cool, lift off the top one and place a good layer of strawberries upon the other, and replace the top, spreading as many berries upon the top as will lie; serve with sweetened cream or milk -- of course, the first is the best.

Remarks. --My family find that raspberries, blackberries, etc., are also very nice used in the place of strawberries in a homemade strawberry shortcake recipe. --Dr. Chase

How To Make Strawberry Shortcake The Old Way

Mix as for biscuit, roll about 1 inch thick, and bake. When done, have the strawberries mixed with sugared cream; split the cake with a sharp knife, spread lightly with butter the lower half, then put in a thick layer of the fruit, replacing the top, and covering the top also. Some persons then replace in the oven for a few minutes; but this, I think, makes it more like pie than fresh-berry shortcake. Other berries or pie-plant [rhubarb] may be used, but pie-plant must be stewed, and no cream used.

Mother's Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

"I believe the Household, and the editor will agree with me in thinking Puck never ate any strawberry shortcake. We are 50 years old, but don't we remember, as well as if it was but yesterday, the dear, delightful ones made by mother in our childhood, and don't we know just how they were made, too; we heard her tell so many times, as everyone wanted her best strawberry shortcake recipe.

"She made them as follows: Sour cream, 1 cup; cream of tartar, 1 teaspoonful; soda, 2/3 teaspoonful, with flour to make a suitable dough to roll 1/2 an inch thick, baked nicely; split open and spread each piece with the sweetest, freshest butter; then pour on to one of the halves, not 6 or 7 gritty, mushy berries, but 2 whole cups of those large, luscious ones from the south side of the garden; put on the other half for a cover, and pour over sweetened cream when eaten." --Aunt Lulu, Red Willow, Nebraska

Remarks. --The author loves all these aunts, because they know how it is done; but he would love them better if they were not ashamed of their real names. This is about as my own mother used to make them, so I know it will prove good and worthy to be followed by all who have the nice "sour cream." But good rich milk with soda -- no cream of tartar -- will do very nicely.

Of course, any berries, fresh or canned, at all suitable for a shortcake, ripe, nice peaches, or even a nice, thick custard, may take the place of strawberries when they are not plenty, or for the sake of variety. --Dr. Chase

Biscuit with Baking Powder, Quickly Made

A couple of Dr. Chase's old fashioned strawberry shortcake recipes say to "prepare the dough as for biscuit," and this old-time biscuit recipe taken from his cookbook will serve as a fine example. Some swear it tastes better than Bisquick®.

In Dr. Chase's day, it was not unusual for shortcake to be made using biscuit dough, and it is delicious when made this way and served with the traditional sweetened cream. Try it and see.

Flour, 3-1/2 cups; baking powder, 3 teaspoonfuls; butter, or nice lard, 1 tablespoonful (rounding); sweet milk. Directions: Stir the baking powder into the flour and sift; work in the butter smoothly; then use milk enough to have a soft dough; mold into biscuit by using flour, dusting freely; bake in a hot oven at once.

Remarks. --Do not knead biscuit made with baking powder, nor make them stiff, in this lies the secret of making nice, light biscuit with baking powder; so says "my good woman," and she knows from an experience of 40 years of married life. In cold weather the butter will work in easier, if warmed. Water may take the place of milk by doubling the amount of butter or lard, to make them equally rich.

Easy Apple Shortcake Recipe

If you would like to try an easy strawberry shortcake recipe, but know that strawberries are unavailable, then Dr. Chase's recipe for apple shortcake may be a delicious alternative, especially in the fall when the apples are in season. Apple shortcake made this way is really good.

Season well-stewed applesauce with sugar and nutmeg, or mace; make any of the nice shortcakes, above given, open, or split, as the case may be, butter nicely and spread on a thick layer of the prepared sauce, and replace the top; serve with well-sweetened cream.

Remarks. --You will need to have quite a quantity, if you satisfy the taste and desires of the family, and the guests.