Holiday Strawberry Shortcake: Flaky

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to macerate.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Cut in the chilled cubed butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized lumps of butter remaining.
4. Gently stir in the cold heavy cream and vanilla extract until a shaggy dough forms; do not over-mix.
5. Spoon the dough into 9 equal mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes until the tops are pale gold and the edges are slightly crisp.
7. Remove from oven and let the biscuits cool for 5 minutes to set the internal structure.
8. Whip the ice-cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste until firm peaks form.
9. Split a warm shortcake in half horizontally, spoon a generous amount of macerated strawberries over the bottom half, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and garnish with a strawberry slice.