Strawberry shortcake

Set the oven to 425F.

Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

Crack the cold egg into a medium bowl with the vanilla and whisk to break it up before the buttermilk goes in, or the egg hangs in globs.

Add the cold buttermilk, mix, and refrigerate so everything stays cold.

Cube the cold butter and sprinkle it into the flour.

Work the butter in with a pastry blender or the thumbs until the pieces are roughly pea-sized at the largest; too tiny and the shortcakes are less fluffy.

Drizzle in the buttermilk mixture with a spatula or fork, fluffing and moving it along, to a shaggy dough; do not overmix or the flour proteins contract as it cools and it turns short, gummy and dense.

Turn out onto a generously floured counter and work it gently by hand into a cohesive mass, squish, lift, squish, one or two kneads.

Pat into a one inch thick disc -- thinness is the enemy, too thin and it cannot rise.

Cut with a floured three inch circular cutter, pressing straight down without twisting so the edges are not sealed; press the scraps cut side to cut side and cut again.

Arrange about one inch apart, unlike cookies, so they rise evenly.

Brush the tops only with cold heavy cream for a golden finish and to glue the topping.

variation: sprinkle coarse or fine sugar over before baking for sweetness, sparkle and crunch.

Bake at 425F about 15 minutes until golden.

Slice the strawberries about a quarter inch thick.

Toss the berries with granulated sugar and refrigerate to macerate while the biscuits bake and cool; macerate longer if the berries are watery supermarket ones.

Whip the cold heavy cream with granulated sugar and vanilla, low then high, only to a very soft peak.

Finish by hand to a stiff peak that has not curdled; a cold bowl and cold whisk help.

Split the biscuits, top the bottom half with a dollop of whipped cream, pile on strawberries, close, and finish with another dollop and a few more berries.