scones, shortcake and biscuits

[Milz]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "eloise_herisson" <eloiseherisson at a...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., Jennifer Boggess Ramon <boggles at e...> 
> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > What is the difference between a scone and shortcake?  (I mean 
real 
> > shortcake, not the spongy things they sell in groceries, of 
course.)
> > 
<snip>
> But I don't understand your use of shortcake!
> To me, shortcake is a synonym for shortbread, that *very* rich, 
> buttery biscuit (British usage) particularly associated with 
Scotland.
> I know you mean something different, but I've never fathomed what.
> 
> And what do you mean by 'biscuit', anyway? Or did someone already 
> explain?
> 
> Eloise

In the US, there are two types of shortcake: one that resembles a 
genoise cake in texture, ingredients and appearance(the spongy 
supermarket variety is a sub-type of this) and one that resembles a 
biscuit/scone.

An "American" biscuit resembles a scone. It differs from English 
scones in that most scone recipes include egg, American biscuits do 
not for the most part. However, most American-biscuit-style 
shortcakes do include eggs, so it's more like a scone than a biscuit 
ingredient-wise.

Back to shortcakes, most shortcakes in the US appear as "strawberry 
shortcake", that is a biscuit/scone split in the middle and filled 
with a layer of sliced sweetened strawberries and a dollop of whipped 
cream, and assembled in a sandwich-fashion, like Devonshire Splits.

Milz