Citrus Berry Shortcake Food

CITRUS BERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of a greased 9-in. round baking pan with parchment; grease paper., In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter, egg, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in 1 cup sliced strawberries. Transfer to prepared pan., Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack; remove parchment. Cool completely., For topping, in a small bowl, toss strawberries with lemon juice and sugar. Refrigerate until serving. In another bowl, mix whipped topping and liqueur; spread over cake. Drain strawberries; arrange over top.

TRIPLE BERRY CREAM CHEESE SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the cream cheese swirl: Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and egg white in a small bowl until smooth.
• For the berries and cream: Gently toss the mixed berries with the sugar, lemon juice and orange zest in a large bowl. Let stand, gently stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is juicy (some of the raspberries will break down), about 1 hour. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until the flour is just incorporated.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth with an offset spatula. Add big dollops of the cream cheese mixture all over the surface and use a small spoon to swirl it in slightly, then smooth the top again.
• Bake the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cake in the baking dish for 10 minutes, then remove and cool it completely, cream cheese-side-up.
• Cut the cake into squares and serve topped with the berries. Add a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with the mint.

MIXED BERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Add the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor (or a large bowl). Add the butter pieces and pulse until the butter is completely cut into the flour mixture (or use a pastry cutter if using a bowl). Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup and while pulsing (or stirring) the dough, drizzle in the buttermilk mixture until the dough just comes together and is no longer crumbly.
• Drop the mixture in 8 clumps between 2 baking sheets, then bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• For the berries: Wash the berries, slice the strawberries and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle on the granulated sugar, then add the orange zest and juice. Stir gently, then set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to allow a syrup to develop.
• For the sweet yogurt cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, yogurt, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high until stiff. (Note: It won't get quite as stiff as regular whipped cream.)
• To serve, lay one biscuit on a plate, top with syrupy fruit, then top with a good spoonful of cream.

LEMON-BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Mix sugar and peel in small bowl. Melt jam in large skillet with 2 tablespoons water. Mix in 3 tablespoons lemon sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, then berries. Set aside.
• Combine 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons lemon sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in medium bowl and whip. Cover; chill.
• Mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup lemon sugar in large bowl. Quickly mix in remaining 1 1/3 cups cream and 2 tablespoons lemon juice until dough just comes together. Drop dough by rounded 1/3 cupfuls in 6 mounds on ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle dough with remaining lemon sugar. Bake biscuits until golden, about 23 minutes. Cool slightly on rack. Split biscuits; fill with berries and cream.

PERFECT BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and 3 Tbs. sugar in a medium bowl. Grate 2 Tbs. of the butter on the coarse holes of a box grater into dry ingredients; toss to coat. Repeat grating and tossing with remaining butter. Combine egg and half-and-half; pour into flour mixture. Toss with a fork to form large clumps. Lightly press clumps into a ball; add a teaspoon more half-and-half to the bowl if dough won't come together.
• Turn dough onto work surface; press into an 8-by-4- to 5-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares, placing them 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before baking.) Before baking, brush tops with optional egg white for a particularly attractive sheen. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Mix thawed and fresh berries with sugar in a bowl; let stand until sugar dissolves. With a hand mixer, beat cream to soft peaks, gradually adding 1 Tb. sugar, then vanilla.
• Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries over each cake bottom, then a dollop of whipped cream over berries. Cap with cake top and serve immediately.

ORANGE AND SOUR-CREAM DROP SHORTCAKES WITH ASSORTED BERRIES

Steps:

• In a bowl with a potato masher mash 2 cups blackberries with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and stir in remaining blackberries. In 2 more bowls mash separately raspberries and blueberries with remaining granulated sugar in same manner. Let berries stand at room temperature 4 hours. Berry mixtures may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring berries to room temperature before serving.
• Make shortcakes:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and lightly butter 2 baking sheets. In a large bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl whisk together zest, sour cream, and milk and add to flour mixture. Stir mixture until it just forms a soft and sticky dough and drop into 12 mounds at 1-inch intervals onto prepared baking sheets. Pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer shortcakes to a rack and cool. Shortcakes may be made 4 hours ahead and kept in airtight containers.
• In a large bowl beat cream with confectioners' sugar until it holds soft peaks. Whipped cream may be made 1 hour ahead and chilled in a cheesecloth-lined large sieve set over a bowl, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Whisk cream lightly before serving.
• Split shortcakes horizontally with a fork and serve with berries and whipped cream.

OLD-FASHIONED BERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour and cornstarch; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on high speed until mixture is thick and holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface when you raise the whisk, about 5 minutes.
• Place reserved flour mixture on a large piece of parchment paper. Holding paper like a funnel, add flour mixture to egg mixture. With machine running on low speed, mix until just combined. In a steady stream, immediately add oil; mix until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer; detach the whisk. Using the whisk, fold mixture several times.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through baking time, until the centers spring back when you touch them with your finger, about 30 minutes.
• Immediately turn cakes out onto a wire rack; let stand until completely cool.
• Combine cream, confectioners' sugar, and remaining teaspoon vanilla extract in clean mixer bowl. Scrape in vanilla seeds; reserve pod for another use. Starting on low speed and increasing to medium high, whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, slice cakes in half; place one layer on a serving plate. Spread one-fourth of whipped cream over the layer; arrange strawberries on top. Repeat process with remaining layers, cream, and berries. Refrigerate until serving; garnish with mint.

STRAWBERRY-CITRUS SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Sift the cake flour and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter with 1 1/3 cups sugar in a large mixing bowl until light colored and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until well blended. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, alternating with the flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake in preheated oven until top springs back when lightly touched, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake 15 minutes before turning out of pan.
• Meanwhile, place strawberries in a separate bowl. Toss gently with 1/3 cup sugar, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
• Combine the yogurt, heavy cream, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl, and stir until well blended. To serve, top slices of cake with strawberries and a dollop of the cream mixture.

SUMMER BERRY STACKED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trace an 8-inch circle onto two pieces of parchment paper. Line two baking sheets with the paper, writing-side down.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, cream and egg in a liquid measuring cup.
• Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center and pour in the liquid. Stir the mixture together until just combined, then use your hands to knead it a few times until the dough comes together. It will be the texture of thick cookie dough.
• Divide the dough into two equal pieces, place each onto one of the prepared baking sheets and use lightly damp hands to press it into a circle just inside the traced line. (Do your best to pat the tops flat while keeping the edges perpendicular to the pan.) Chill the dough on the baking sheets in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes (dough can be chilled up to 4 hours). Just before baking, sprinkle each round with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar.
• Bake the shortcakes until golden and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool completely.
• While the shortcakes are cooling, macerate the berries and make the cream: Add berries, sugar, lemon and vanilla to a large bowl. Use a fork to gently mash up to 1/4 cup of the berries. (This doesn't have to be exact, but you want to create a little bit of liquid if your berries aren't naturally super juicy.) Stir gently to combine and let sit for about 30 minutes.
• For the cream, add the yogurt, sugar, vanilla and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add the heavy cream, and whip until very firm peaks form. (You can complete the shortcakes, cream and berries up to 4 hours in advance, refrigerating the cream and berries until ready to serve.)
• To serve, place one of the cooled shortcakes on a serving plate. Top with half of the cream followed by half the berries. (Don't spread the cream quite to the edges, as it will spread when you add the other shortcake.) Repeat with the remaining shortcake, cream and berries. If there is a lot of extra berry juice left in the bowl, serve it alongside the cake.
• Slice the cake with a long serrated knife and serve. The shortcake can be layered up to about 1 hour in advance and stored in the fridge. It will soften as it sits.