America’s Test Kitchen
Serves 8

Fruit
2 quarts strawberries, hulled
6 tablespoons sugar

Shortcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
⅔ cup half-and-half
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Whipped cream for finishing

For the fruit: Crush 3 cups of the strawberries with a potato masher. Slice the remaining 5 cups of berries and stir into the crushed berries along with the sugar. Let silt at room temperature until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are juicy, about 30 minutes

For the shortcakes: While the berries macerate, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pulse together the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter pieces of the top and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.

Blend the half-and-half with the beaten egg and pour into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula until large clumps form. Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly until the dough comes together.

Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a 9 by 6-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut out 6 dough rounds using a floured 2 ¾-inch biscuit cutter. Reform the remaining dough and cut 2 more rounds. Place the rounds 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush the tops with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake the shortcakes until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the shortcakes cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.

To assemble: Split each biscuit in half, laying the biscuit bottoms on individual plates. Spoon a portion of the fruit over each bottom, then top with a dollop of the whipped cream. Cap with the biscuit tops.