Let’s bake these delightful Lemon Cornmeal Biscuits and assemble our shortcakes:

1. Prepare the Biscuit Dough (Dry Ingredients & Fat):

• In a medium (or large) mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup cornmeal, ⅓ cup cane sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon sea salt until well combined.
• Add the small pieces of hardened coconut oil to the dry ingredients.
• Using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two knives, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand or small pea-sized crumbs. Work relatively quickly to keep the coconut oil cold.

2. Add Wet Ingredients to Dough:

• In a separate small bowl, lightly whisk together the beaten eggs, ¼ cup almond milk, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons lemon zest.
• Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry flour/coconut oil mixture.
• Using a fork or a rubber spatula, stir just until the ingredients are moistened and a shaggy dough begins to form. The recipe notes, “The dough will be more moist and pliable than traditional biscuit dough,” so don’t be alarmed if it’s a bit sticky. Avoid overmixing!

3. Shape and Chill Dough:

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper.
• Gently pat the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle.
• Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter (one side over the middle, then the other side over that).
• Gently pat or roll the folded dough again until it is about 1-inch thick.
• Wrap the dough in the parchment paper (or plastic wrap) and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes to chill and firm up. This makes it much easier to cut clean biscuits and helps them bake up tender.

4. Preheat Oven and Cut Biscuits:

• While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the chilled dough from the freezer. Unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured surface.
• Using a 2 ½-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out as many biscuits as you can (likely 3-4 on the first pass). Press the cutter straight down without twisting for clean edges.
• Gently gather the scraps, re-pat or re-roll them to 1-inch thickness (handle as little as possible), and cut out more biscuits. Repeat until you have approximately 8 (1-inch thick) biscuits.
• Place the cut biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1-2 inches apart.

5. Optional Brush and Bake:

• If desired, lightly brush the tops of the biscuits with a little more almond milk.
• Sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar, if using.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown around the edges and cooked through. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

6. Cool Biscuits:

• Let the baked biscuits cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes.
• Carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely (or serve slightly warm if preferred for assembly).

7. Prepare Fruit and Cream (While Biscuits Cool or Just Before Serving):

• Wash, hull, and slice the fresh strawberries. (If you like your strawberries sweetened, you can toss them with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and let them macerate for 15-30 minutes to release their juices, though the recipe calls for fresh sliced).
• Prepare your whipped cream: If making homemade, whip cold heavy cream with a little powdered sugar and vanilla until soft or medium peaks form. If using coconut whipped cream, ensure it’s ready.

8. Assemble the Strawberry Shortcakes:

• Once the Lemon Cornmeal Biscuits are cooled (or still slightly warm), gently split each biscuit in half horizontally.
• Place the bottom half of a biscuit on a serving plate.
• Spoon a generous amount of sliced fresh strawberries over the biscuit bottom.
• Add a dollop or swirl of whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream) over the strawberries.
• Place the top half of the biscuit over the cream.
• Garnish with more strawberries and fresh mint leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.

The folding and chilling of the dough are key for biscuit texture!