I was so excited to find what appeared to be ripe, gorgeous local blackberries at the market the other today. Upon getting them home however, I discovered them to be horribly sour. Like, so sour as to almost be inedible. I assure you, my disappointment was immense… Since they couldn’t very well be eaten alone, I figured that the best thing to do was to make something sweet and delicious out of them. Inspired, I decided to do a spin on the classic strawberry shortcake. I love citrus in desserts, and berries with citrus are one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I decided to add lemon zest to the biscuits. The result was a bright, and surprisingly light dessert, and incredibly easy to make.
Ingredients:
Yields 6 Shortcakes
Berries:
– 5 c. blackberries
– 2/3 c. powdered sugar
– 2 Tbsp. water
Biscuits:
– 3/4 c. chilled buttermilk
– 2 Tbsp. lemon zest
– 2 1/4 c. flour
– 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
– 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
– 1 tsp. baking soda
– 1/4 tsp. salt
– 6 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
– 1 Tbsp. raw or demerara sugar
Directions:
Berries:
1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan
2. Stir over medium heat until berries soften and become syrupy — about 10-15 minutes
3. Remove from heat and let cool. Berries should be served at room temperature. Can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
Biscuits:
1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Combine buttermilk and lemon zest in a small bowl
4. In a large bowl mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Be sure to break up any large clumps of sugar
5. Cut butter into small cubes and add to four mixture
6. Rub butter into flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs
7. Add the buttermilk mixture and combine with a fork until just blended. Dough will be sticky and may seem “loose” but don’t add more flour!
8. Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead 4-5 times, but be careful not to overwork (over-handling will make your biscuits tough)
9. Pat dough out until about 3/4” thick
10. Using a 3” cookie cutter (you could also use a greased drinking glass or mug if you don’t own a cookie cutter), cut dough into rounds
11. Combine dough scraps, pat out, and cut into rounds until no dough remains. You should have 6-7 in total
12. Place rounds on your lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar
13. Bake biscuits at 425F for 15 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean
14. Cool slightly — about 15 minutes
15. Using a serrated knife, cut each biscuit in half. Spread blackberry mixture over each bottom-half, dividing equally. Place top half of biscuits on blackberries, then top each with an equal portion of the remaining blackberry mixture.
16. Top shortcakes with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serve and enjoy!
Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2009
theindiehomemaker 