Issue Date: July 13, 2003
Very berry shortcake simplified
You don't need a food processor, pastry cutter, rolling pin or cookie cutter to make these sweet biscuits.
Not that many years ago, if you were served a strawberry or blackberry shortcake, it would have had a biscuit base. These days, however, shortcake has come to mean a dessert consisting of sweetened berries, whipped cream and just about any kind of pastry or cake, including those little spongecakes you can buy in packages. Having tried them all, I'm still a biscuit fan. The contrast of cool fresh berries, soft sweet cream and warm tender pastry is incomparable.
But some people find biscuits a little tricky, which is why I think they opt for cake instead. I have the answer: This shortcake recipe I've developed yields a simple, foolproof biscuit that's crisp yet delicate. No need to pull out the food processor or pastry cutter. Just grate frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the dry ingredients. That's it. Stir in the milk and eggs, then press the dough into a ball.
You won't need a rolling pin or special cutter to form the shortcakes, either. Using your fingertips, pat the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Use a knife to cut the dough into six squares. Voilà! -- no scraps to roll and re-roll. (Experi-enced bakers know that biscuits cut from second and third rollings become progressively ratty and tough.) Square shortcakes are attractive, and all are first cuts.
Once the dough squares have been formed, you can either refrigerate them for several hours or bake them right away. As you serve the main course, pop them in the oven. That way, they're warm and fresh by dessert time. For a hint of sweetness and an attractive sheen, sprinkle the tops with sugar just before baking.
Serve the shortcakes with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries or raspberries -- use just one kind of berry or a combination. For a fruit topping that's fresh, wonderfully juicy and economical, use a mix of fresh and frozen berries. I like 1 pound frozen berries (a standard bag) plus 12 ounces of fresh berries. Even at farm stands, fresh berries can be expensive, so supplementing with frozen keeps the cost down.
Frozen berries defrost in less than a minute in the microwave and are naturally juicy. Sprinkle the thawed berries with sugar, and mash them with a whisk or potato masher. The berry juice dissolves the sugar and creates the much-needed fruit syrup to moisten the cake -- instantly! By contrast, fresh-sugared berries need an hour or more to release their juices.
Although there are scores of ways to flavor the fruit -- liqueurs, citrus zests, spices and fresh herbs -- I prefer my berries sweet and unadorned.
This very berry shortcake is simple, straightforward, exquisite. How perfect is that?
Go to top
Perfect Berry Shortcakes
Summer's luscious blackberries are beautiful with these exquisite shortcakes.
|
For shortcakes:
2 cups all-purpose bleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tb. baking powder
3 Tbs. sugar, plus 2 Tbs. for sprinkling
1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter, frozen
1 egg, beaten, plus 1 optional egg white
1/2 cup cold half-and-half
To assemble:
1 16-ounce package unsweetened frozen raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries, thawed and crushed
12 ounces fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries (rinsed and patted dry), or strawberries (hulled and sliced)
6 Tbs. granulated sugar plus 1 Tb. for sweetening whipped cream
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
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.
Serves 6. Per serving: 631 calories, 8g protein, 76g carbohydrates, 34g fat (20g saturated), 3g fiber, 627mg sodium.
Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of "CookSmart" (Houghton Mifflin, $28).
|
