Helen Goh’s giant shortcake with summer fruits and vanilla cream. Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food styling: Katie Smith. Prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. Food styling assistant: Phoebe Altman. View image in fullscreen Helen Goh’s giant shortcake with summer fruits and vanilla cream. Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food styling: Katie Smith. Prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. Food styling assistant: Phoebe Altman. The sweet spot Dessert Helen Goh’s giant shortcake with summer fruits and vanilla cream – recipe A jamboree of juicy stone fruit and summer berries with a crusty, sugary top brings a riot of textures and colour to your dessert table
Prefer the Guardian on Google A giant American-style shortcake is one of summer’s great celebrations: tender, buttery shortcake, softly whipped cream and an extravagant tumble of fruit. Rather than prescribing a single combination, I like to let the market decide. Choose whatever looks and smells best: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, greengages, apricots, cherries, nectarines or peaches all work beautifully. Aim for a mix of juicy stone fruit and berries – it will bring different colours, textures and levels of sweetness to every bite. This is a dessert that embraces the glorious abundance of the season – a proper summer bonanza.
Prep 15 min Chill 1 hr+ Cook 1 hr 20 min , plus cooling Serves 8-10
For the shortcake 380g plain flour , plus extra for dusting 70g caster sugar , plus 1 tbsp 3 tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine sea salt 150g cold unsalted butter 250ml cold double cream , plus 1 tbsp extra for brushing 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp fennel seeds , lightly toasted and crushed A few small mint leaves , to garnish
For the fruit 350g stone fruit of choice , stoned and cut into 5-7mm wedges 350g berries of choice , halve or quarter strawberries, depending on size 40g caster sugar , plus extra depending on the sweetness of the fruit 2 tsp lemon juice A pinch of fine sea salt
For the cream 350ml double cream 20g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract A pinch of fine sea salt
Cut a sheet of baking paper to fit a large baking tray, then, using a 20cm cake tin or dinner plate as a guide, draw a 20cm circle on it.
Whisk the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
Put the cold butter between two sheets of baking paper and give it a few firm whacks with a rolling pin, until it forms a rough sheet about 5mm thick. Tear the butter into irregular pieces and add to the flour mix, tossing to coat. Rub the butter lightly between your fingertips to flatten into smaller flakes of about 1-2cm across – some pieces will still be visible throughout the flour.
Combine the cream and vanilla, then pour into the flour mix. Stir gently with a fork until the mix forms a shaggy dough, then use a flexible spatula to fold it over a few times, until there are no obvious dry patches. The dough will still look rough and that’s exactly what you want.
Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface, then flour your hands and gently pat and press the dough into a rough disc. Transfer to the baking paper, placing it on the side without the circle. Using the drawn circle as a guide, gently press the dough into an even 20cm round, about 2cm thick. Wrap the dough in the baking paper and chill for at least an hour, or up to three hours.
To bake, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Unwrap the dough, put it (still on the baking paper) on to a large baking tr…