Fresh Berry Shortcakes
Prep Time:
15 mins.
Cook Time:
15 mins.
Yield:
6 Servings
When fresh, ripe berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are available, always grab them! There’s no better way to showcase the seasonal sweetness of these fabulous tiny fruits than with tender, home baked shortcake made with Swans Down® Cake Flour. The more kinds of fresh berries, the better.
Ingredients
BERRIES
- 6 cups ripe strawberries, trimmed, divided
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- 1 cup blackberries
SHORTCAKES
- 1 3/4 cups Swans Down® Cake Flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup sugar plus extra to sprinkle on biscuits
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons slivered almonds
- whipped cream
- fresh mint sprigs
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 425°F.
MAKE SAUCE: In a food processor, puree 5 cups strawberries with sugar; force through a fine sieve into a bowl. Slice remaining strawberries; stir sliced strawberries and all other berries into puree.
MAKE SHORTCAKES: In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. With a pastry blender or your fingertips blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together cream, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl and, with a fork, stir cream mixture into flour mixture, stirring until mixture just forms soft dough.
ON a lightly floured surface with floured hands, pat dough out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. With a 3-inch round cutter, cut out 6 rounds. Place rounds on a large baking sheet. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar and almonds. Bake in middle of oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool shortcakes on a rack.
SPLIT shortcakes horizontally and arrange bottom halves on plates. Spoon berries and sauce onto bottom halves. Add shortcake tops and garnish with whipped cream and mint sprigs. Serves 6.
