Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Test Kitchen Tips:
Secret to Tender Shortcake: Make sure the butter is cold and cut it in until it’s about the size of peas. As it melts during baking, this will create the small air pockets that give the biscuit its flakiness.
Golden Brown Goodness: Brushing the biscuit tops with cream helps the sugar stay in place as well as giving the top a rich golden brown color when it's baked.
Bump up the Biscuit: Stir grated lemon zest, orange zest or a bit of spice such as ground cardamom into the biscuit mixture. Add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg to the sugar on top.
Don't Have Buttermilk?: Place a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup and fill with regular milk to reach the 1 cup mark.
Swap the Fruit: Add fresh herbs or a favorite liqueur into the strawberry mixture, or substitute sliced mangoes, or peaches and blueberries, for the strawberries.
Whip Smart: It’s important the heavy cream is cold when you mix it—you’ll get more volume. Start out on low speed and be patient. You can make the whipped cream up to 2 hours ahead, then gently stir to reincorporate when you’re ready to serve it.
Perfect Berries: Avoid mashing the strawberries too long or they will become mushy.