Strawberry Shortcake Cobbler Recipe

I like the biscuit-y, buttery kind of strawberry shortcake, not the bland spongy ones. But here's my weird thing: instead of diving in right away, I like to let the strawberries sit on the shortcakes for awhile so the juices soak in. (I'm also the person whose favorite part of fruit pies is the juice-soaked crust.) So I set out to make an easy recipe that puts the essence of strawberry shortcake into one warm fruit cobbler.

The keys to this recipe are not overcooking the strawberries and having a thick but not gloppy sauce that the shortcakes can happily soak in. Make sure your strawberries are thoroughly dried, and keep them in relatively large pieces so they don't fall apart during baking. The easy shortcake dough is mixed by hand, then formed into cute little discs that sit on top of the fruit. While you can go the traditional route and serve this beautiful cobbler with whipped cream, I find the cream-based shortcake dough plenty rich to serve it as is. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)

Strawberry Shortcake Cobbler

Makes:                  6 servings
Total Time:           50 minutes, plus cooling time
Hands-On Time:   20 minutes

Nice to Know: Thoroughly dry your strawberries - any excess water 
                                clinging to them will water down the sauce.

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INGREDIENTS
For the filling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed and thoroughly dried

For the shortcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy cream

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INSTRUCTIONS
For the filling:

1. Arrange a rack in the middle and heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Place the sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Stem and halve the strawberries (keep tiny ones whole and quarter any large ones), then add to the cornstarch mixture. Stir until evenly coated.
3. Transfer the strawberries, including any remaining cornstarch mixture, to an 8-by-8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and arrange in an even layer; set aside.
   

For the shortcakes:

1. Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add the butter pieces and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Working quickly so as not to soften the butter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until it’s completely incorporated. Drizzle in the cream and stir until a shaggy dough just comes together and all the flour is moistened.
3. Being careful not to overwork the dough, divide it into 9 pieces and gently form each piece into a 2-inch wide disc.
4. Place the discs in a single layer on top of the strawberries, spacing them about 1/4-inch apart. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top.
5. Bake until the edges are bubbling and the shortcakes are set and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.