Strawberry Shortcake

Pick over and hull strawberries. Cut in half or slice, depending on size. Gently crush about a quarter of the berries with a fork to release their juices. Mix with remaining berries and the ¼ cup of sugar, adding more sugar if necessary. Set aside, covered, for about half an hour to develop flavor. Preheat oven to 450°F. Into a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, ¼ cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Add ¾ cup of butter by cutting into small pieces and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry blender as for pastry. Add 1 ⅓ cups cream and vanilla, and mix to a soft dough. Knead the dough for one minute on a lightly floured pastry board by folding over itself several times, then roll it out to about 1-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter cut into rounds. Use a little butter to grease a baking sheet. Place half the rounds on it. Melt remaining butter and brush a little on the rounds; place remaining rounds on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. While shortcakes cook, beat remaining cream, vanilla and sugar until it thickens. Remove shortcakes from the oven, and pull or cut in half. Place a bottom half of a shortcake on each plate. Top with a generous spoonful of berries and cream. Cover with a top half, add a few more berries, and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.