Kid-Friendly: Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

Strawberry

• 2 cups strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced ​​(can be prepared the day before)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon

Biscuits (can be measured in advance)

• 2 cups of premium flour + extra for working with the dough
• 3 tbsp sugar + extra for sprinkling
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups heavy cream, plus extra for greasing
• Zest and juice of half a lemon
• Special equipment: a 5cm diameter cookie cutter, an airtight plastic container (at least 1 litre capacity) for whipping the cream

Whipped cream

• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Fresh mint, for garnish

Preparation:

1. First, prepare the strawberries:
   
   Combine the sliced ​​strawberries in a large bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside, stirring several times, until the berries release their juices, about 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the buns:
   
   Preheat oven to 220°C. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cream. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Using a wooden spoon, mix the dough together. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a floured work surface. Flatten it into a 1 cm thick circle. Cut out as many circles as possible using a 5 cm cookie cutter. Carefully gather the scraps and repeat.
3. Place the dough circles on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2.5 cm apart. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool while you whip the cream.
4. Prepare whipped cream:
   
   Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in an airtight container. Whip or shake with the lid on until soft peaks form.
   
   Innings:
   
   Use a fork to split the buns horizontally in half. Top the bottom halves with some juicy strawberries and whipped cream. Top with the top halves. Top with more whipped cream and garnish each serving with a mint leaf, if using.