Strawberry Shortcake

When we go to the Cheesecake Factory my husband normally orders an appetizer and copious amounts of beer so that he has room to order the strawberry shortcake. The shortcake is devoured almost as soon as the plate touches the table. Needless to say, he is fan of their strawberry shortcake. So, when I happened across Meemo's recipe for Cheesecake Factory Strawberry Shortcake, I had to try it. That night, I became my husband's hero. And Meemo became my hero.

p.s. Is Meemo a cat?

Ingredients

The Strawberries
2 Quarts (4 pints) sliced strawberries
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

Whipped Cream
1 Quart Heavy Cream
3-4 Teaspoons Sugar (to taste)
3/4 Teaspoon Vanilla
Shortcake Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup half and half 

Vanilla ice cream

Directions

The Strawberries:
Wash and drain strawberries. Slice strawberries, sprinkle sugar evenly over strawberries. Gently mix the sugar into the strawberries, ensuring that all strawberries are covered with sugar. Chill for 2 hours.

Whipped Cream:
Combine ingredients in stainless steel bowl. Whip to stiff peaks.

Shortcake Biscuits:
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt thoroughly in a 6-quart stainless steel bowl. Cut in butter until mixture appears mealy and crumbly. Add cream and buttermilk, mix gently for 20 to 30 seconds. Don't over mix, it will become sticky. Lightly flour work surface, place dough out to approximately 1/2-inch thick. Cut 4 to 6 ounces per round, place on non-stick baking pan, approximately 2 to 3 inches apart. The biscuits will triple in size. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.

To Serve:
Cut the biscuit in half horizontally, separating the top from the bottom half. Place the bottom half of the biscuit in a medium bowl. Cover the biscuit bottom with 4 ounces of strawberry mixture. Place two scoops of vanilla ice cream in the center of the biscuit bottom. Place the remaining biscuit half on top of the ice cream. Pour 4 additional ounces of the strawberry mixture over the biscuit top to moisten it, allowing some of the berries to fall into the bowl. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream.

Makes 8-10 biscuits