Individual Fresh Fruit Shortcakes With Cassis Food

MINI ANGEL FOOD STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• To prepare shortcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Stir flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Place egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until medium peaks form. Sift the flour mixture over the egg-white mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
• Divide the mixture among the cups of an (unsprayed) regular muffin tin. They should be full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack until completely cool.
• Meanwhile, to prepare filling: Stir strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar together in a medium bowl. Let stand until juicy, at least 20 minutes. Place cream in a large metal bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
• To assemble shortcakes: Run a knife around the outside edge of the shortcakes, then remove them from the pan. Cut the shortcakes in half horizontally. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the strawberries (and juices) over each shortcake bottom and dollop about 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream on top. Replace the shortcake tops.

THE BEST CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla in a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to use. Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal. Pour in the chilled heavy cream mixture and pulse until just combined.
• Lightly flour a work surface and dump the dough onto it. Pat out the dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut out as many biscuits as you can with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Then pat the remaining dough out to 1/2-inch thick again. Cut more biscuits; you should get 12.
• Put 6 of the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops generously with cream, then top each cream-brushed biscuit with one of the remaining biscuit rounds. (This makes it easier to split once they are baked.) Brush the top of each biscuit stack with more heavy cream and sprinkle 1 teaspoon granulated sugar on each biscuit.
• Bake the biscuits until golden and puffed, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, for the topping: Toss the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a medium bowl.
• Just before serving, beat the heavy cream, sour cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Split the shortcakes in half. Spoon half the cream on the bottom of the biscuits, top evenly with the strawberries and top with the remaining cream. Put each biscuit top on and serve.

TINY STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Position an oven rack at the center of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the cream, lemon juice and lemon zest, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture just forms a dough. Gather the dough into a ball, and transfer it to a flour-dusted work surface. Pat it into a 1/2-inch-thick circle. Cut out as many mini biscuits as you can with a 1-inch round cookie cutter. Gently press the scraps together, and repeat. Arrange the biscuits 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush them with more cream, and sprinkle with a little sugar.
• Bake 1 sheet of biscuits on the center rack until they are just golden, about 10 minutes; repeat with the second sheet. While they are still warm, use the rounded side of a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation on the top of each. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Toss together the strawberries and jam in a small bowl, and fill each biscuit indentation with some of the mixture. Top with a small dollop of whipped cream and a mint leaf. (The shortcakes can be made and refrigerated up to 2 hours before serving.)

BISCUIT STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• 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 8 mounds on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. , Meanwhile, place strawberries, orange juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl; toss gently. Split shortcakes in half horizontally. Place bottom halves on serving plates; top with whipped topping and strawberries. Replace shortcake tops.

MIXED FRUIT SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the berries, peaches and 2 teaspoons sugar; set aside. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk just until moistened. Drop by lightly packed 1/3 cupfuls 2 in. apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Gently flatten into 2-1/2-in. circles. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. , Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Split shortcakes in half horizontally. Spoon fruit onto bottoms; spread whipped cream over fruit or on the shortcake tops.

PEACH RASPBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sift the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Blend in the butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add to the flour and butter
• mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will be sticky.
• Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Flour your hands and pat the dough out 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough.
• Cut 6 or 7 biscuits with a 2 3/4-inch fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
• Brush the tops with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked. Let cool on a wire rack.
• To assemble, whip the cream and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until the peaks are stiff.
• Split each shortcake in half crosswise and place the bottom half on a plate. Spoon whipped cream on top, then place the sliced peaches and raspberries on the whipped cream. Garnish with the orange zest, then place the other half of the shortcake on top and serve.

SUMMER-FRUIT SHORTCAKE WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl to blend; transfer 1 tablespoon mixture to small bowl and reserve for glaze. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl; add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 3 minutes. Add buttermilk mixture and blend just until soft moist dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, gather dough into ball and knead gently for 6 turns. Transfer dough to ungreased baking sheet. Shape dough into 8-inch round. Brush top with reserved 1 tablespoon buttermilk mixture. Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool completely.
• Make filling:
• Toss plums, peaches, raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat mascarpone, whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cut off top 1/3 of cake. Using small knife and leaving 1/2-inch border at edge, cut out enough of cake bottom to form 1/2-inch-deep indentation. Spread half of mascarpone cream in indentation. Using slotted spoon, remove fruit from bowl; mound onto cream. Reserve fruit juices in bowl. Spread remaining mascarpone cream over fruit. Cover with top of cake. Refrigerate cake and reserved juices separately, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.
• Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Drizzle with reserved fruit juices and serve.

STRAWBERRY & VANILLA SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and lightly flour a baking sheet. Put the flour, butter, sugar, half of the vanilla seeds and ¼ tsp salt into the bowl of a food processor, then pulse until fine. Tip into a large bowl. Beat the milk, egg and a good squeeze of lemon together, then tip into the bowl and bring together with a knife, using a cutting action, until you have a clumpy dough. Finally bring together with your hands if you need to.
• Lightly flour the work surface, tip the dough onto it, then quickly shape into a smooth-ish disc. Using a rolling pin, pat out to 2cm thick. Cut out 8 rounds with a smooth 7cm cutter (you'll need to pinch together the trimmings). Glaze just the tops with beaten egg, transfer to the floured sheet, then bake for 10-12 mins until risen and golden, and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.
• Beat the remaining vanilla seeds and icing sugar into the clotted cream. It will get runnier at first, but keep beating and it will thicken again. To serve, slice the very top from each shortcake to give a flat surface, then spoon over about 1 tsp jam. Top with a good dollop of the vanilla clotted cream and finish with the strawberries.

INDIVIDUAL STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES BY PAULA DEEN

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, toss the strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar together.
• Set aside until time to serve.
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar.
• Then pulse in the cold butter cubes until a coarse meal is formed.
• Turn the flour mixture out into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
• Pour in 2/3 cup half-and-half and gently mix it in with a rubber spatula or fork - be careful not to over mix the dough or the biscuits will be tough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a couple of times until it just holds together.
• Pat the dough out to 3/4" thickness and cut out 8 round 3" biscuits.
• Transfer the biscuits to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Brush the tops of each biscuit with the remaining half and half and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar.
• Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits have risen and are a light golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• Split each biscuit, spoon some strawberries on the bottom piece, then whipped cream and top with the other biscuit half.
• Garnish with more strawberries.