Strawberry Ginger Shortcake with Chevre Whipped Cream

The shortcakes for this came out incredibly moist and delicate.  I used half all purpose flour and half whole wheat pastry flour.  After mixing ingredients I added chopped crystallized ginger to the batter. 
If you make these the day before you want to use them they will dry a bit and absorb any topping you put on them-- strawberries macerated with honey, blackberries with ginger and cinnamon, chocolate sauce with candied orange....
But it's strawberry season so I did strawberries with a chevre whipped cream!

makes 6 shortcakes

Ginger Shortcakes:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 TBS plus 1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 TBS sugar

4 TBS butter, chilled and cut in small pieces

1 cup half and half, cream or buttermilk

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Preheat oven to 400

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Mix dry ingredients and then cut butter in with a fork or pastry cutter until it resembles a fine meal.  Add half and half or whichever liquid you choose.  Mix until just combined, then add chopped ginger.  Drop 1/4 cup portions onto parchment lined baking sheet. You can also form into a disk and cut into wedges.

Optional: brush with half and half and sprinkle with sugar before baking

Bake at 400 until lightly golden, about 15 minutes (check starting at 12 minutes)

Slice in half horizontally and fill with strawberries and then top with whipped cream

Chevre Whipped Cream:

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 TBS powder sugar or more to taste

2 1/2 TBS chevre* (any fresh goat cheese you like, I prefer locally made, it tends to be a bit softer than the large commercial producers make)

Beat cream with powder sugar, just as it starts to thicken add the chevre.  Continue to beat until a soft peaks form.

*Lake Erie Creamery makes a key lime chevre that is wonderful with this!

Strawberries:

Slice ripe strawberries into a bowl, add honey to taste--or--

I used a strawberry sauce I made the previous year and mixed that with the strawberries to sweeten it.  You can get the same effect by mixing strawberry preserves with some lemon juice and lemon peel and mixing that into your fresh strawberries.

Assemble: Slice shortcakes in half horizontally, top with berries, then top the whole thing with whipped cream.....