Summer Fruit Shortcake Food

SUMMER FRUIT SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture; pour in the buttermilk and milk, and mix just until the dough gathers together. Do not overwork. Cover the bowl, and allow dough to rest 10 to 15 minutes. Roll or pat the dough into 6 rounds, each about 3 inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Place on a rack and cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine the blueberries, apricots, and cherries in a bowl. Toss to blend and set aside.
• Beat the whipping cream in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Stir in 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Split the shortcakes in half and place the bottom halves on 6 serving plates. Spoon whipped cream over each half, top with fruit, and place a shortcake top on each. Dust tops with remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar.

PLUM AND BLACK CHERRY BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKES WITH GINGER CARDAMOM WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• For the buttermilk shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Chill 2 large mixing bowls, a pastry cutter, the flour and cubed butter in the freezer for 15 minutes before assembling the shortcakes.
• Add the flour to one of the chilled mixing bowls. Working quickly, cut the butter into the flour using the chilled pastry cutter (or your fingers); the goal here is pea-size balls of butter. In batches, add the buttermilk until the dough is cohesive yet still moist. (You may not need all of it.) Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly press into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a 4-inch biscuit cutter or the business end of a dry measuring cup, cut out 8 biscuits.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Swirl the oil in the bottom of the skillet and gently arrange the biscuits in the skillet, making sure they are all nestled up against each other tightly.
• Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sanding sugar. Bake until the tops are just slightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• For the plums and cherries: Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the plums, cherries, granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice, ginger and cinnamon. Cook, stirring very gently as the fruit releases its juice, until the fruit is slightly soft, a few minutes. Take off the heat and add the butter. Gently stir until melted.
• For the ginger cardamom whipped cream: In the other cold bowl, mix together the cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cardamom and ginger. Beat to medium peaks.
• For assembly: Split a warm shortcake with a fork. Place the bottom on a plate or shallow bowl and spoon on some of the warm plum and cherry mixture. Dollop on some whipped cream and sprinkle with some candied walnuts. Top with the top of the shortcake. Spoon on some more of the warm plum and cherry mixture, dollop on more whipped cream and sprinkle with more candied walnuts. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 7 more.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Pick over and hull strawberries. Cut in half or slice, depending on size. Gently crush about a quarter of the berries with a fork to release their juices. Mix with remaining berries and the 1/2 cup of sugar, adding more sugar if necessary. Set aside, covered, for about half an hour to develop flavor.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Into a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and baking powder. Add 3/4 cup of softened butter, and rub into dry ingredients as for pastry. Add 1 1/4 cups cream, and mix to a soft dough. Knead the dough for one minute on a lightly floured pastry board, then roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut an even number of rounds - 2 rounds per serving.
• Use a little of the butter to grease a baking sheet. Place half the rounds on it. Melt remaining butter and brush a little on the rounds; place remaining rounds on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, and pull shortcakes apart. Brush the insides with some of the remaining melted butter.
• Beat remaining cream until it thickens. Add vanilla. Beat again just until thick.
• Place a bottom half of a shortcake on each plate. Top with a generous spoonful of berries. Cover with a top half, add a few more berries, and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

SUMMER FRUIT SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• 1. In bowl, sprinkle fruit with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and lemon juice; toss to mix well and set aside.
• 2. LEMON BISCUITS In measuring cup, add enough milk to lemon juice to make 2/3 cup; stir and set aside for 15 minutes to sour.
• 3. In bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon rind; using pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening and butter until well mixed.
• 4. With fork, blend in soured milk to make soft dough - Don\'t overmix.
• 5. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 6-8 times.
• 6. Roll out or pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
• 7. Using floured 3 inch round cutter, cut out 6 biscuits; sprinkle lightly with more sugar.
• 8. Bake on greased baking sheet in 425 oven for 12-15 minutes or until tops are browned.
• 9. Let cool until warm; cut in half horizontally.
• 10. Spoon fruit mixture onto bottom halves of biscuits, reserving some fruit for garnish.
• 11. Stir strawberry puree with remaining sugar; spoon over fruit mixture.
• 12. Top with dollop of whipped cream, then biscuit tops - Garnish with more cream and remaining fruit.

SUMMER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add cream cheese, and pulse again until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk, and pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, and gently knead into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Divide dough in half. Working with one portion at a time on a lightly floured work surface, pat into a disk, then roll into a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Brush biscuits with buttermilk. Generously sprinkle raw or sanding sugar over tops and sides. Brush off sugar from parchment. Bake until dough has risen slightly and is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (if bottoms brown too quickly, reduce temperature to 400 degrees). Leave biscuits on sheets. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out (but do not remove) 7 stars from one biscuit while it is still warm. Let cool.
• Using a paring knife, carefully remove star shapes. Reserve for snacking or another use. (Biscuits can be made up to 8 hours ahead; store on wire racks, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.)
• Make the filling: Combine blueberries, strawberries, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let macerate until juicy, 10 minutes.
• Just before serving, beat cream to medium peaks with remaining tablespoon sugar and the vanilla.
• Assemble the cake: Place uncut biscuit on a large plate. Spoon half the berries and their juices on top of biscuit, then spread the whipped cream over berries. Top with all but about 1/2 cup berries. (Make sure surface is even; it will support the top biscuit and prevent it from breaking.) Carefully place cutout biscuit on top. Fill star cutouts with reserved berries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 3 hours.