Berry Shortcake with Fresh Whipped Cream Recipe

A delicious cinnamon-sugar biscuit with fresh berries marinated in sugar and citrus, plus homemade whipped cream with a cinnamon-sugar sprinkle on top. It tastes as good as it looks!

This is the final post in my Father's Day recipe extravaganza, so it has to be dessert, right? I love strawberry shortcake (who doesn't?), and since I have some blueberries, I'm adding them, too. I made strawberry shortcake for Memorial Day, using a biscuit recipe with very little butter. They were good, but they kind of dried out the next day, so this time I am using a recipe with buttermilk and a LOT of butter. I will provide the recipes for both. But the first step is to prepare the fruit.

Serves 8.

INGREDIENTS FOR FRUIT TOPPING:

• 1 qt. of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced into equal pieces
• 1 pint of fresh blueberries, washed and drained
• 1/4 cup sugar
• a splash of fresh orange juice or lime juice plus a little grated zest

Use the freshest berries you can find, depending on the season, you can't go wrong here!

The fruit is prepped, sugared, juiced and zested! Time to chill out for a while.

Mix the ingredients in a bowl, place in the refrigerator and let sit (macerate) until the fruit starts rendering its juices. You can use frozen fruit here and it makes a nice fruity sauce once defrosted, but if it's berry season, go fresh, it does not take much time to prepare and it is just delicious! The fruit should sit for a few hours in order to render properly.

FOR THE BUTTERY, HAND-CUT BISCUITS:

This first biscuit recipe is a variation on a recipe from the pastry kitchen of Frontera Grill, owned by celebrity chef Rick Bayless. I brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking. Here is a link to their recipe, I've changed a few things, use the one you like best or use a combination of both! Makes 8 biscuits.

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 T. melted butter for brushing the tops of the biscuits
• 1 T. each good quality cinnamon and granulated sugar, mixed together

All the biscuit ingredients are at the ready! Time to make some biscuits.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a food processor or large bowl and pulse lightly to mix. Scatter the chilled butter evenly over dry ingredients. Pulse the processor 10 to 12 times until the butter is in tiny bits, or cut with a pastry blender until you achieve the proper texture. Next, add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix or pulse lightly until the soft dough just comes together.

The dough is pulsed, lightly kneaded, patted into shape, cut into discs and topped with butter and cinnamon sugar. Ready for the oven!

Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and press together to form a disk that is 3/4 to 1 inch thick. The dough will be quite soft. With a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many biscuits as you can. Transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat cookie sheet liner. Gently bring the scraps back together and pat out the dough again. Cut the remaining disks, transfer to the baking sheet and brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and your kitchen smells like sugary cinnamon deliciousness. Cool.

I wish you could smell these! This picture can just speak for itself. Flaky, tender and delicious.

FOR THE LOW FAT, DROPPED BISCUIT RECIPE:

This biscuit recipe comes from Taste of Home. I followed their recipe and added the brushed butter and cinnamon sugar on top. Makes 8 biscuits.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup cold butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 T. melted butter
• 1 T. each ground cinnamon and granulated sugar, mixed

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually stir in milk until a soft dough forms. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls into eight mounds on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush melted butter on the top of each biscuit, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:

I usually whip my own cream, but always have a can of good quality whipped cream on hand, in case I get lazy.

• (1) 16 oz. container of whipping cream
• 2 - 3 T. of granulated or confectioner's sugar (to taste)
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. best quality vanilla extract

I use a little less sugar as I really like the taste of the cream to come through. You can always add more but you can't take it away. Add ingredients into a chilled bowl and whisk with a hand whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.

Once your biscuits are cooled and the whipped cream is prepared, split the biscuits in half and spoon some of the fruit mixture and extruded juices over the top. Top with whipped cream and maybe a pinch of cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately. I hope you and your lucky guests enjoy!