Summer Shortcake Supreme Recipes

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.

SUMMER BERRY STACKED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trace an 8-inch circle onto two pieces of parchment paper. Line two baking sheets with the paper, writing-side down.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, cream and egg in a liquid measuring cup.
• Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center and pour in the liquid. Stir the mixture together until just combined, then use your hands to knead it a few times until the dough comes together. It will be the texture of thick cookie dough.
• Divide the dough into two equal pieces, place each onto one of the prepared baking sheets and use lightly damp hands to press it into a circle just inside the traced line. (Do your best to pat the tops flat while keeping the edges perpendicular to the pan.) Chill the dough on the baking sheets in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes (dough can be chilled up to 4 hours). Just before baking, sprinkle each round with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar.
• Bake the shortcakes until golden and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool completely.
• While the shortcakes are cooling, macerate the berries and make the cream: Add berries, sugar, lemon and vanilla to a large bowl. Use a fork to gently mash up to 1/4 cup of the berries. (This doesn't have to be exact, but you want to create a little bit of liquid if your berries aren't naturally super juicy.) Stir gently to combine and let sit for about 30 minutes.
• For the cream, add the yogurt, sugar, vanilla and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add the heavy cream, and whip until very firm peaks form. (You can complete the shortcakes, cream and berries up to 4 hours in advance, refrigerating the cream and berries until ready to serve.)
• To serve, place one of the cooled shortcakes on a serving plate. Top with half of the cream followed by half the berries. (Don't spread the cream quite to the edges, as it will spread when you add the other shortcake.) Repeat with the remaining shortcake, cream and berries. If there is a lot of extra berry juice left in the bowl, serve it alongside the cake.
• Slice the cake with a long serrated knife and serve. The shortcake can be layered up to about 1 hour in advance and stored in the fridge. It will soften as it sits.

OLD-FASHIONED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch baking pan.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and milk in another bowl; stir into flour mixture until batter is just blended. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

SUMMER SHORTCAKE SUPREME

Steps:

• 1. Prepare cake mix as directed on box for 9x13 pan. Let cool completely. I like to make ahead and refrigerate, covered.
• 2. Wash and hull strawberries, let dry til damp. Cut in half, or quarters if large, and place in large bowl. Wash peaches, smoothing fuzz with hands under running water. Let dry and cut into 1/2 - 1 inch chunks. Put in bowl with strawberries. Add 1/4 cup sugar and stir gently to distribute. Store in fridge a few hours to allow to make it's own sauce with the added sugar.
• 3. In another large bowl, make vanilla pudding with only 1 cup milk, mix as directed on package. Carefully fold in thawed whipped topping thoroughly. Can see if completely mixed because pudding will be different color than topping. Store, covered, in fridge until time to serve.
• 4. Cut cake into squares. Can be sliced in half horizontally if refrigerated. Scoop strawberries and peaches with some juice over cake. Top with combined pudding/whipped topping mixture. Repeat if sliced in half for a double decker version.