Fourth of July Strawberry Shortcake for 6

Instructions:

1. Toss the sliced strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a medium bowl. Set these aside at room temperature for 15 minutes until they look glossy and have released a thick syrup. This is the maceration process.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the cold cubed butter using a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. You want a few pea sized lumps left in there - don't over mix them!
3. Stir in the buttermilk. Use a spoon or spatula and stop as soon as the dough comes together. Note: If you stir too much, the biscuits will be tough and rubbery.
4. Spoon 6 mounds of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Don't flatten them; just leave them as rough mounds.
5. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and they have a visible rise.
6. Let the biscuits cool for 5 minutes. Note: They need this time to set so they don't crumble when you slice them.
7. Beat the chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. This means when you lift the whisk, the cream stands straight up without drooping.
8. Split a warm shortcake in half horizontally.
9. Spoon a generous amount of berries and that beautiful syrup onto the bottom half.
10. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream and place the shortcake lid on top.