Recipe | Strawberry & white chocolate shortcake

Biddie, a lover of all things beautiful, believes women deserve to look and feel great every day, ‘wearing a dress on a Tuesday’ rather than waiting for a special occasion. With a philosophy centred on embracing the moment, TUESDAY honours beauty in the everyday. Biddie’s taken a similar approach when selecting her recipe for this book: ripe strawberries and luscious white chocolate sandwiched between a buttery shortcake dough. It’s a combination to be enjoyed from the first arrival of spring berries to the final harvest in February, not just for milestone moments. A long-time favourite with her family, this recipe is often at the centre of every kind of gathering. While strawberries are aplenty, use them, but as the season progresses, try raspberries, boysenberries and blueberries instead.

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Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Makes: 20 pieces

Ingredients

200 grams butter, softened

½ cup caster sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1–1 ½ punnets (250–300 grams) strawberries, hulled

½ cup white chocolate chips (or 100 grams white chocolate, chopped)

edible flowers to decorate (optional)

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Set the oven rack in the centre of the oven.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light in texture and pale cream in colour. Use a fork to lightly mix the egg and vanilla together in a cup or small jug and then gradually beat in to the creamed butter and sugar a little at a time, beating for several minutes until the mixture is smooth and light.

Sift the flour and baking powder over the top of the creamed mixture. Mix on low for 30 seconds to just combine.

Press 2/3 of the shortcake dough into the prepared cake tin, pressing it evenly over the base and into the corners.

Cut the strawberries in half or, if large, quarter. Scatter the strawberries and chocolate over the top of the shortcake base. Using floured hands, dot the remaining dough evenly on top.

Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until well browned and the cake has shrunk away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Do not turn out too soon as the shortcake needs to ‘set’ lest it breaks up.

Cut into squares and serve dusted with icing sugar. If you wish, decorate with edible flowers.

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NZ fashion designer, Biddie Cooksley

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