Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder) into a bowl.

Add the sugar, then cut the butter into the dough in very fine cubes or if you are using a food processor pulse a couple of times. The butter should now not be fully incorporated with the dough but rather loosely mixed.

Add the sour cream and combine well with a fork.

Add the milk slowly and stir with a whisk until all flour is moist and a smooth dough has formed. Due to the different consistency of sour cream the milk is added bit by bit in order not to over moisten the dough.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl onto a slightly flour dusted work surface and knead gently until a smooth, non sticking dough has formed. If the dough seems to be too moist and sticks to the work surface, some more flour can be added and worked into the dough at this time.

Gently roll out the dough to about 1 inch (3cm) thickness. With a cookie cutter cut out discs of approximately 3 inch (8 cm) diameter. Place each portion onto a buttered and flour dusted baking tray, brush with melted butter. Alternatively if you are making a cake size short cake, roll the dough about 2-3 inches (8 cm) and 10 inch (35 cm) in diameter, then bake accordingly.

Clean all strawberries, then cut half of the strawberries in halves and set aside.

Of the remaining half of strawberries, cut half in dice and blend the rest with icing sugar into a coulis. Combine the strawberry coulis and the diced strawberries for the filling of the shortcakes.

Pour the vanilla sauce onto the serving plate, set the bottom of the shortcake into the middle, then add the cover of it and dust with icing sugar.