Sour Cream Shortcakes With Fresh Berries Recipes

Steps:

• For berries:
• Combine berries in a bowl. Add sugar, mint and lemon juice; toss well and chill, tossing occasionally, 4 hours or overnight. For lemon cream: Combine sour cream, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl; mix well. Chill at least 1 hour.
• For shortcakes:
• Heat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a bowl until well blended. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut butter pieces into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. With a rubber spatula, stir in 1 cup plus 1 tbsp buttermilk until just moistened and dough begins to form (it will be sticky at this point). With lightly floured hands, gently knead dough 3 or 4 times until it holds together. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll dough with a rolling pin into an 8 1/2-inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. With a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 8 circles from dough and transfer to baking sheet. Discard dough scraps. Brush top of each shortcake with remaining 1 tbsp buttermilk. Bake until shortcakes rise and turn lightly golden, 16 to 18 minutes.
• To serve:
• Cut each shortcake in half crosswise. Place the bottom on a plate and top with 3/4 cup berry mixture and 2 tbsp lemon cream. Cover with top half of shortcake. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a bowl with a potato masher mash 2 cups blackberries with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and stir in remaining blackberries. In 2 more bowls mash separately raspberries and blueberries with remaining granulated sugar in same manner. Let berries stand at room temperature 4 hours. Berry mixtures may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring berries to room temperature before serving.
• Make shortcakes:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and lightly butter 2 baking sheets. In a large bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl whisk together zest, sour cream, and milk and add to flour mixture. Stir mixture until it just forms a soft and sticky dough and drop into 12 mounds at 1-inch intervals onto prepared baking sheets. Pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer shortcakes to a rack and cool. Shortcakes may be made 4 hours ahead and kept in airtight containers.
• In a large bowl beat cream with confectioners' sugar until it holds soft peaks. Whipped cream may be made 1 hour ahead and chilled in a cheesecloth-lined large sieve set over a bowl, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Whisk cream lightly before serving.
• Split shortcakes horizontally with a fork and serve with berries and whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Into a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt. Add the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons chilled butter. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cream cheese and butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
• Break the egg into a measuring cup, and beat lightly with a fork. Add enough milk to make 3/4 cup. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and stir. Knead the dough inside the bowl just until it is blended and cohesive, about 20 seconds.
• Shape half of the dough into a flattened ball, and place in a greased 8 round cake pan. Pat the dough flat to the edges of the pan. Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter. Shape the remaining dough into a flattened ball, and place in the pan on the buttered dough, patting flat to the edges. Bake until golden brown, about 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Place the sliced strawberries in a mixing bowl, add sugar to taste, and mix well. Place the sour cream in a small bowl, and add sugar to taste, mixing to blend well. To serve, remove the cake from the pan, and use a knife to help pry the layers apart; they should split naturally where the dough had been buttered. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate, and top with sweetened strawberries. Place the second layer over the strawberries, and top with sweetened sour cream. Serve immediately.