Ladies and Gentlemen

It's a big weekend. It's the Wimbledon finals and the extra long 4th of July holiday weekend. And Will and Kate are nearly in SoCal. Could you just die? No? Well, fine. But it's a good enough reason to acknowledge the English/American mash-up. Too bad there weren't any Americans in the ladies' or men's (excuse me, gentlemen's) finals...

Is there a better way to enjoy breakfast at Wimbledon (not WimbleTON!) than with a plate of scones? I guess actually being there would be a start...But if you watch from your couch at home, you could make a batch for breakfast and then use the ones that you don't eat (assuming that you don't eat them all!) to make shortcakes for dessert on the 4th. Voila!



Breakfast at Wimbledon - 4th of July Strawberry Shortcakes
(Scone recipe adapted from The Best New Recipe)

Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Filling:
2 pounds fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated white sugar, or to taste
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

1. Make the scones: Preheat the oven to 425˚F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

2. Use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips, and quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

3. Stir in 1 cup of the heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until the dough begins to form.

4. Transfer the dough, and all dry flour bits, to a counter top and knead the dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball. Pat the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle (about 8-inches round). Cut the dough into 8 wedges (or rounds). Brush the tops with the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet.

5. Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 - 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

6. Make the filling: Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries. Place about one third of the strawberries in a large bowl and smash them with a potato masher, pastry blender, or fork. Add the remaining sliced strawberries and about 2 tablespoons sugar and stir to combine. (The amount of sugar used will depend on how sweet the berries are.) Set aside to macerate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

7. Make the whipped cream: Chill a large bowl and a whisk in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Place the cold cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours.

8. To serve: Cut the scones in half (like a sandwich roll) and place the bottom half of the scone (cut side up) on a dessert plate. Top with some of the strawberries and whipped cream. Place the top half of the scone on the strawberries (cut side down). Top with additional whipped cream and a few more strawberries. If there is any juice from the strawberries, drizzle a little over the top of the scone. Serve immediately. Makes 8 shortcakes.