Summer Fruit Shortcake Recipes

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.

Steps:

• In large bowl, stir together fruit and maple syrup. Let stand about 1 hour until fruit becomes juicy.
• Heat oven to 450°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in margarine, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in milk just until blended.
• Drop dough by 8 spoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
• In small bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold in yogurt and maple flavor. (Refrigerate until ready to serve.)
• Split shortcakes horizontally in half while warm. Place about 1/4 cup fruit and 1 tablespoon Maple Cream on bottom half of each shortcake. Add shortcake tops. Top each with additional fruit and 1 tablespoon Maple Cream.

Steps:

• Pick over and hull strawberries. Cut in half or slice, depending on size. Gently crush about a quarter of the berries with a fork to release their juices. Mix with remaining berries and the 1/2 cup of sugar, adding more sugar if necessary. Set aside, covered, for about half an hour to develop flavor.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Into a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and baking powder. Add 3/4 cup of softened butter, and rub into dry ingredients as for pastry. Add 1 1/4 cups cream, and mix to a soft dough. Knead the dough for one minute on a lightly floured pastry board, then roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut an even number of rounds - 2 rounds per serving.
• Use a little of the butter to grease a baking sheet. Place half the rounds on it. Melt remaining butter and brush a little on the rounds; place remaining rounds on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, and pull shortcakes apart. Brush the insides with some of the remaining melted butter.
• Beat remaining cream until it thickens. Add vanilla. Beat again just until thick.
• Place a bottom half of a shortcake on each plate. Top with a generous spoonful of berries. Cover with a top half, add a few more berries, and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add cream cheese, and pulse again until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk, and pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, and gently knead into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Divide dough in half. Working with one portion at a time on a lightly floured work surface, pat into a disk, then roll into a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Brush biscuits with buttermilk. Generously sprinkle raw or sanding sugar over tops and sides. Brush off sugar from parchment. Bake until dough has risen slightly and is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (if bottoms brown too quickly, reduce temperature to 400 degrees). Leave biscuits on sheets. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out (but do not remove) 7 stars from one biscuit while it is still warm. Let cool.
• Using a paring knife, carefully remove star shapes. Reserve for snacking or another use. (Biscuits can be made up to 8 hours ahead; store on wire racks, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.)
• Make the filling: Combine blueberries, strawberries, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let macerate until juicy, 10 minutes.
• Just before serving, beat cream to medium peaks with remaining tablespoon sugar and the vanilla.
• Assemble the cake: Place uncut biscuit on a large plate. Spoon half the berries and their juices on top of biscuit, then spread the whipped cream over berries. Top with all but about 1/2 cup berries. (Make sure surface is even; it will support the top biscuit and prevent it from breaking.) Carefully place cutout biscuit on top. Fill star cutouts with reserved berries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 3 hours.