Directions

Make the crust: Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda,  baking powder and lemon and orange zests in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine the ingredients. Distribute the butter pieces around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Add the egg and egg yolks and process until the dough just begins to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it together. Knead it briefly and shape it into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled (overnight is fine, as is frozen up to 1 month).

Form the crostates: Thaw dough in the refrigerator if frozen. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes, or until it is just pliable enough to roll, but not too soft to work with.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.

Dust a cool flat working surface with flour. Dust a rolling pin with flour. Cut the dough in half then roll half to about 1/4-inch thickness. Set it aside in the refrigerator as you roll out the other half. Use a plate about 6-inches in diameter as a stencil and cut out four rounds. Save the scraps for the lattice. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. You should get eight 6-inch rounds. Place four on each prepared baking sheet. Chill the scraps.

Roll the edges of each round inward forming a 1/2-inch rim. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of jam into the center of each round, then smooth the jam right up to the edge of the rim. Repat with all the rounds.

Remove the scraps from the refrigerator. Then pinch of a ping pong ball sized piece and roll it out with your fingertips to create a long, thin noodle like strand about 1/4-inch in diameter. Continue to roll the remaining dough then cut the strands into forty-eight 6-inch pieces.

Lay three strands evenly spaced across each jam-topped dough round. Then lay three more at an angle, creating a diamond-shaped lattice on each jam-topped dough round. Trim the strands with your fingertips, pinching them into place to stick.

Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to one day.

To bake: Adjust the oven racks so that one is on the top third and the other is on the bottom third of the oven. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator, take off the plastic wrap and bake about 25-30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until golden. Remove the sheets to cool on a rack to room temperature.

Directions

For the rhubarb: Toss the rhubarb, 3/4 cups sugar, fresh peeled ginger, and cardamom pods in a glass container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Turn the mixture once or twice to evenly distribute the sugar.

Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium saucepan. Gently pour the rhubarb mixture through the sieve into the saucepan to collect the accumulated juices. Remove the sieve with the rhubarb and place over a bowl. Remove and discard the ginger and cardamom.

Bring the liquid and any undissolved sugar in the saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring gently, until all of the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Add the rhubarb to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb just begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the rhubarb mixture from the heat and reserve at room temperature. The rhubarb will continue to soften as it sits.

For the vanilla shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder & 1 tablespoon sugar into a large mixing bowl. Slit the vanilla bean and, using a sharp paring knife, scrape the seeds into flour mixture and reserve the pod for another use. Stir the flour mixture to distribute the vanilla seeds.

Add 1 cup cream and mix into the flour with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Add more cream as necessary until the dry ingredients become a firm ball of dough with no dry spots; it should not be sticky.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 20 times, until the dough becomes smooth but not shiny, and firm but pliable. Pat the dough into a 9-inch square.

Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut 8 rounds of biscuit dough as close to one another as possible, re-rolling the dough gently if necessary.

Brush each shortcake on both sides with the melted butter to lightly coat, and place on an un-greased baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until puffed and lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Place the shortcakes on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

For the whipped cream: Place the stainless-steel bowl and whip attachment for an electric mixer in the freezer 10 minutes before whipping the cream. Place the crème fraîche, 1 cup cream, and 2 teaspoons sugar in the chilled bowl and whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently stir in most of the candied ginger, reserving just enough as garnish for all 8 servings. Reserve in the refrigerator until needed.

Place the saucepan with the rhubarb mixture back on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the strawberries and cook until the strawberries are just heated through but still firm, about 2 minutes. Tease the shortcakes apart with a fork. Divide the rhubarb and strawberry mixture among the shortcakes (about 1/2 cup per serving) and finish each shortcake with a small dollop of whipped cream, and a sprinkle of reserved candied ginger.