Not-Your-Traditional Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry soup1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled or 8 ounces thawed frozen strawberries#189; cup granulated sugar2 tablespoons waterBiscuits#190; cup all-purpose flour#188; cup cake flour1#189; tablespoons granulated sugar2 teaspoons baking powder#8539; teaspoon salt#188; cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled#189; teaspoon freshly grated ginger#189; cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more for brushing2 tablespoons raw sugar1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered, for servingWhipped cream, for servingFor the soup: In a medium saucepan, mix the strawberries sugar, and water and cook over low heat for 30-45 minutes, until the liquid develops a syrupy consistency. Do not stir the berries more than once or twice during cooking or the soup will be cloudy.Strain the strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; do not push down on the berries to extract more juice. Discard the solids and let the liquid cool.For the biscuits: Heat oven to 350 degrees.In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the all-purpose and cake flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt and pulse 2 or 3 times, until mixed. Add the butter and ginger and pulse 2 or 3 times to mix. With the motor running, add the cream through the feed tube and process just until the dough comes together.Turn the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times to make a cohesive ball. Do not overwork the dough or it will toughen. Roll the dough into a round that is 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Cut rounds from the dough using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or an upturned drinking glass. Gather the scraps, roll out again, and cut out more biscuits. You should have 8 biscuits.Arrange the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between them. Brush the tops of the biscuits with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once, for about 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown. Let the biscuits cool on wire racks.To serve: In a mixing bowl, pour the cooled strawberry soup over the quartered fresh berries. Cut the biscuits in half and put a bottom half on each of 8 serving plates. Spoon the berries and soup over the biscuits and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Put the top halves of the biscuits on the whipped cream at a slight angle. Serve right away.Serves eight.Cook's note: The strawberry soup freezes really well so you can make shortcake later in the year. #160;"Steak with Friends: At Home with Rick Tramonto" by Rick Tramonto with Mary Goodbody (2010 Andrews McMeel, $35)