Strawberry-Halva Shortcakes

Name: Strawberry-Halva Shortcakes
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients: 1 large egg; ¼ cup buttermilk; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; ¼ cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing; 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 2½ tsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ¼ tsp. baking soda; 6 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 4 oz. sesame halva, broken into ½"–1" pieces; 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped; Sanding sugar (for sprinkling); 1½ lb. fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered; 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice; 6 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided; 1¾ cups heavy cream

By Samantha Seneviratne

July 6, 2021

Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk

Studded with chunks of sesame halva and bittersweet chocolate, these strawberry shortcakes from baker Samantha Seneviratne are delicious enough to eat all on their own, but when layered with cream and strawberries, they really shine. If fruit with chocolate isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to omit the latter.