Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Wash: hull; slice into medium-sized bowl 1 quart strawberries
Add and mix with berries:
1/2 cup sugar
Cover: place in refrigerator to chill.

Sift into medium-sized bowl:
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Cut in with 2 knives or pastry blender: 6 teaspoons shortening.
Add all at once and mix with fork until soft dough is formed: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk.
Turn dough onto lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Knead lightly 1/2 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll one half into 1/2-inch thickness. With cutter 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out 7 biscuits. Place one in center of greased 8-inch layer cake pan. Arrange remaining biscuits around it. Dot top of each biscuit with: Softened butter or margarine.

Roll and cut 7 biscuits from remaining dough. Place on top of biscuits in pan.
Bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown. In medium-size bowl whip:
1-cup cream
Sweeten with:
4 tablespoons sugar.

Turn on oven and set regulator at hot (425 degrees F.)

Remove shortcake from pan; place on large plate. Lift off top biscuits. Cover bottom layer with chilled sweetened berries; reserve some for top. Replace biscuits. Top each (except center) with whipped cream. Pile reserved strawberries on center biscuit. Makes 7 servings of shortcake.