Sour Cream Shortcakes With Fresh Berries Food

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.

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.

STRAWBERRY SOUR CREAM SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Into a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt. Add the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons chilled butter. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cream cheese and butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
• Break the egg into a measuring cup, and beat lightly with a fork. Add enough milk to make 3/4 cup. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and stir. Knead the dough inside the bowl just until it is blended and cohesive, about 20 seconds.
• Shape half of the dough into a flattened ball, and place in a greased 8 round cake pan. Pat the dough flat to the edges of the pan. Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter. Shape the remaining dough into a flattened ball, and place in the pan on the buttered dough, patting flat to the edges. Bake until golden brown, about 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Place the sliced strawberries in a mixing bowl, add sugar to taste, and mix well. Place the sour cream in a small bowl, and add sugar to taste, mixing to blend well. To serve, remove the cake from the pan, and use a knife to help pry the layers apart; they should split naturally where the dough had been buttered. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate, and top with sweetened strawberries. Place the second layer over the strawberries, and top with sweetened sour cream. Serve immediately.