1 qt Fruit (strawberries)
1/3 c Sugar
1 tb Lemon juice
1 1/2 c Heavy cream
Buttermilk Biscuit Dough
2 tb Buttermilk
2 tb Sugar
2 tb Soft butter
———————–BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DOUGH———————–
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Cake flour
1/2 ts Salt
2 ts Baking powder
1/2 c Cold unsalted butter
3/4 c Buttermilk or heavy cream
(or more)
Preheat the oven to 450F; set rack in middle level. Prepare biscuit
dough. For a large shortcake, pat the dough into a 9-inch disk on a
parchment-lined cookie sheet. For individual shortcakes, pat dough
into a 6-by-12- inch rectangle and cut into eight 3-inch biscuits
with a sharp, floured knife. Transfer to a parchment-lined cookie
sheet. Paint tops with buttermilk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10
to 15 minutes, until well risen and golden. Check the center of the
large shortcake with a toothpick to make sure it is baked through: If
the pick emerges with dough still clinging to it, lower temperature
to 350F and bake another 5 minutes. Slide the large shortcake onto a
platter immediately after it is baked. Use a sharp, serrated knife to
slice through the middle, making two layers. Slide the edge of a
cookie sheet between the two layers and lift the top layer off.
Butter the bottom layer and pour all but 1/2 cup of the sweetened
fruit on. Slide the top back on and pour the remaining berries over
the top. Split the small shortcakes in the same way and place the
bottoms on individual dessert plates. Butter them and top with about
1/3 cup of the fruit mixture. Replace tops and pour a tablespoon or
so of the remaining berries over the top. Serve immediately. Pass the
cream in a bowl for the guests to help themselves. BUTTERMILK BISCUIT
DOUGH: COMBINE THE FLOURS, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl
and stir well to mix. Rub in the butter by hand or with a pastry
blender until the mixture is mealy. Stir in 3/4 cup of the buttermilk
with a fork and continue stirring gently until the dough begins to
hold together. (If the dough is dry, add more buttermilk, 1
tablespoon at a time.) Sprinkle the work surface generously with
flour and scrape the dough onto it. Fold the dough over on itself two
or three times. Use the dough immediately for shortcakes, following
the instructions above. Use this recipe to make a large shortcake or
eight small ones. This same dough is used as the topping in cobbler
recipes.
Yields
8 Servings