My sweetie had just taken a bite from one of my precious homemade biscuits, and I leaned in for his appraisal. Not that I doubted his reaction. I just wanted to hear the words.
“Wow. These are remarkable.”
“I know.”
Then we broke into laughter.
They were remarkable. Remarkably bad. So not biscuity in taste, texture and appearance, they would win the blue ribbon of Yuck.
Memo to me: Lay in a fresh supply of baking soda and baking powder. And the next time you’re tempted to substitute sour cream for buttermilk? Don’t.
Now that we’re heavy into berry season, baking disasters around here are potentially catastrophic since, a well-tuned shortcake is one of our most treasured vehicles for transporting fresh fruit from bowl to mouth.
Indeed, nothing is quite as splendid as strawberry shortcake when the berries are juicy-ripe and locally grown. Or, as my Pendleton-bred hubbie would say, “Boy-howdy!”
James Beard’s favorite strawberry shortcake
3-4pints strawberries, hulled, sliced and sweetened to taste
4cups flour
1/4cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2teaspoons cream of tartar
1 3/4teaspoons baking soda
2teaspoons salt
3/4cup butter, chilled and cut into bits
1 1/2cups whipping cream
4hard-cooked egg yolks, mashed
4tablespoons melted butter
Whipping cream, sweetened to taste and whipped to desired thickness
Combine the flour with the sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Cut in the chilled butter with knives or pastry cutter. Stir in the cream and egg yolks quickly until a “shaggy” (slightly lumpy) dough forms.
Knead dough on floured surface a few times, pat out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut out 6 to 8 rounds, 3 inches in diameter, with cookie cutter or sharp-edged glass. Cut out an equal number of 21/2-inch rounds.
Place the larger rounds on a lightly oiled baking sheet, brush with melted butter, then place the smaller rounds in the centers of the larger rounds. Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the biscuits are firm and golden.
Lift off the tops from the cakes, spoon sliced and sweetened berries over the bottoms, replace the tops and spoon more berries over the top. Serve with the whipped cream.
Makes 6 to 8 shortcakes.
Recipe from “The Tastes of Washington,” by Fred Brack and Tina Bell
Warm and creamy berry shortcake
4tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4cup sugar
2cups heavy cream
4-6cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries in any combination)
Jan’s buttermilk shortcake biscuits (recipe follows) or your own favorite
Combine the butter, sugar, and heavy cream in a deep pot (you need a deep pot to keep the cream from boiling over the side). Bring the cream to a boil over medium heat. This will bubble up. When it does, whisk the cream down. Let it bubble up again and tame it back down by whisking. Let it bubble up one more time and whisk down, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently over very low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. If the cream gets too thick it may be thinned with a little additional cream. This may be done in advance, then reheated.
To serve, place half a split biscuit on an individual plate. Spoon on some berries and add the top half of the biscuit. Pour the warm cream over all.
Makes enough for 6 to 8 servings.
Adapted from “Lee Bailey’s Berries,” by Lee Bailey
Jan’s buttermilk shortcake biscuits
1/4cup dry buttermilk (I use SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend, available near the flour in the baking section of most supermarkets)
2cups all-purpose flour
2teaspoons baking powder
1teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon baking soda
11/2tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3cup unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
2/3cup milk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift together the dry buttermilk, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and sugar (this can be done in advance). When ready to bake the shortcake biscuits, cut in the butter thoroughly, using a pastry blender or working quickly with your fingers, until mixture resembles corn meal. Stir in the milk and mix until dough is just pliable (do not over-work the dough). Turn the slightly lumpy dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times, then roll or pat it into a 1/2-inch thickness (no thinner!). Cut with floured biscuit cutter into desired sizes, re-rolling the dough once to use up the scraps. You’ll get about 8 31/2-inch biscuits. Place about 1/2-inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Makes 8 shortcake biscuits.
Wildwood’s strawberry-citrus shortcake
Sugared strawberries with Grand Marnier
8cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1/4-1/3cup sugar, depending on sweetness of berries
3tablespoons fresh orange juice
3tablespoons Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, or orange juice
Shortcakes:
2 1/2cups flour
2 1/2teaspoons baking powder
1/2cup yellow cornmeal
2/3cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1 1/2cups heavy cream
4teaspoons grated lemon zest
4teaspoons grated orange zest
4tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Sugar for coating (about 1/3 cup)
Whipping cream:
1cup cold heavy cream
1teaspoon sugar or honey
1/4teaspoon vanilla extract
To prepare the strawberries: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
To make the shortcake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Stir in the cream, lemon zest, and orange zest until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Form into a ball and knead 8 to 12 times, or until the ball holds its shape. Cut the dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Roll the dough in the melted butter, then the sugar. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.
To whip the cream: Chill a large, deep bowl. Pour the cream into the bowl and add the sugar or honey and vanilla. Whip by hand with a whisk or with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. The finished consistency of the whipped cream should just hang from the edge of the whisk. The whipped cream is best if used immediately, but it can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
To serve: Cut each shortcake in half. Top the bottom halves with fruit and whipped cream. Place the top halves on top and serve.
Makes 8 shortcakes.
Recipe from “Wildwood — Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest,” by Cory Schreiber
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