Cinnamon Crunch Shortcakes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the
biscuit dough 3/4-inch thick. Using a heart shaped or any other biscuit
cutter that measures 3 inches at its widest point, cut out 5 shortcakes as
close together as possible. Press the cutter straight down; don’t twist it.
If the cutter sticks to the dough, dip it in flour between cuts. Gather the
scraps together and press or roll out as before. Cut out 2 more shortcakes.
Press the remaining scraps into a ball, flatten and cut out the last
shortcake. (Alternatively, on a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into
an 8-inch round. Halve the round, then cut each half into 3 wedges for a
total of 6 triangular shortcakes.) Place the shortcakes on an ungreased
baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

In a medium bowl, gently toss the raspberries and blackberries to combine.
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, gently toss the blueberries with 2/3 cup
of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of

water. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring once or twice and
brushing down the sides of the pan, just until the blueberries start to pop
and release their juices, about 3 minutes. If the sugar hasn’t dissolved,
stir in a few more drops of water. Remove the pan from the heat and add the
raspberries and blackberries. Do not stir. Transfer the berries to the
bowl.

Bake the shortcakes in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or
until golden brown. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. In a
small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.
Immediately after removing the shortcakes from the oven, dip them in the
butter and cinnamon sugar as follows. Holding a shortcake right side up,
dip the bottom in the melted butter. Place the shortcake, buttered side
down, in the cinnamon sugar and shake the bowl so that the sugar adheres to
and completely covers the bottom. Then turn the shortcake over and dip the
top in the butter and cinnamon sugar in the same manner. Place the
shortcake right side up on a plate. Continue with the remaining shortcakes.
(If the level of the butter is too low for dipping the last shortcake, use
a pastry brush to generously brush the butter on the top and bottom of the
biscuit.)

Using your fingers, gently split open the shortcakes. Spoon about 1/2 cup
of the berries over the bottom of each shortcake. Cover with the shortcake
tops and spoon a dollop of whipped cream alongside. Serve at once.

Yield: 8 servings