For the fruit topping:

• Place 1 ½ cups of the hulled strawberries in a large bowl, and crush them with a potato masher. Slice the remaining 4 ½ cups berries into 4th’s or 5th’s (lengthwise) and stir into the crushed berries along with the sugar. Set the fruit aside to macerate.

For the shortcakes:

• Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, pulse the flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Mix the beaten egg with ½ cup of heavy cream. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula combine until large clumps begin to form. Turn mixture out onto a floured work surface and lightly knead until dough comes together.
• Shape the dough into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Flour a 2 ¾” biscuit cutter and cut out 6 rounds. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheet.
• Bake until the shortcakes are lightly browned, about 12-14 minutes. Cool cakes on a wire rack. Meanwhile make the whipped cream.

For the whipped cream:

• Place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer that has been chilled in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds until bubbles start to form. Turn speed up to medium and beat for another 30 seconds. Finally turn up to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.

To assemble:

• When cooled split shortcake in half and place bottom of cake on a serving plate. Top with a dollop of fruit, then whip cream. Top with cake top and serve immediately.

• Heat cream in small pot on the stove
• Split and scrape vanilla bean seeds and add seeds and pod to pot
• Heat on low for 2 minutes
• Remove from heat
• Discard pod pieces
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar in mixing bowl*
• Add in cream while whisking to keep from scrambling eggs
• Preheat oven to 275°
• Place 4 ramekins in a deep enough pan that water can be added half way up the ramekin sides**
• Divide cream, egg, sugar, vanilla mixture in to ramekins so that each one is 3/4 full
• Place pan in oven and add warm water until the water is half way up the side of the ramekins
• Be careful when sliding the pan back in to the oven not to slosh the water in to the ramekins
• Bake 35 minutes
• The custard should be jiggly and set
• Remove from the water bath and cool for 20 minutes
• Top each custard with 2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
• Burn sugar with torch***
• * If you can't find Caster sugar granulated sugar can be ground in a coffee grinder or something similar to achieve the same effect
• ** You must have oven safe ramekins for this recipe
• ***You must have a kitchen torch for this recipe