Sunset Shortcake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• For berries: In a small bowl, combine berries, sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Chill in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
• For shortcake: In a bowl, combine box biscuit mix, orange juice, sugar and butter until soft dough forms (the orange juice will substitute for water in the boxed biscuit mix directions). Using standard-size ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
• For topping: Stir orange extract into thawed non-dairy whipped topping. Do not overmix.
• Split shortcakes and top with berries and topping mixture.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Unroll biscuits, place on baking sheet and bake in the oven according to directions.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and half of the sugar. Let stand for 1 hour to meld flavors.
• In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.
• Remove biscuits from oven; split the biscuits and dredge in cinnamon sugar; place on serving plate. Top biscuits with macerated strawberries.
• Place whipped topping in a bowl and fold in the sour cream. Garnish shortcakes with a dollop of whipped topping mixture.

Steps:

• Make the shortcakes: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and lime zest in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Whisk the heavy cream, egg and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pulsing constantly, drizzle the cream mixture into the flour mixture; pulse until the flour is moistened and clumps form. Transfer to a medium bowl and knead 3 or 4 times to bring the dough together.
• Scoop 6 balls of dough (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared baking sheet using a large ice cream scoop or a measuring cup, spacing the dough 2 to 3 inches apart. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush each ball of dough with heavy cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Toss the pineapple with 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, the orange zest and lime zest; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
• Beat the heavy cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the allspice in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Split each shortcake and fill with the pineapple and whipped cream.

Steps:

• For the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue beating until uniformly incorporated into the butter; stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Restart the mixer on low speed and add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once all the eggs have been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to insure that all the ingredients are incorporated.
• Add the vanilla bean paste and orange zest and blend uniformly. Add the gluten-free baking mix in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, fully incorporating each addition before moving to the next. If needed, stop the mixer after each addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl and resume mixing on low.
• Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with the batter and bake until the top of each cupcake is slightly springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Immediately turn the cupcakes out of the pans onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
• For the orange mousse filling: In a saucepot, gently heat 1/2 cup of the orange juice concentrate and the sugar, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until chilled.
• In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons water with the remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate; sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let the gelatin bloom and hydrate.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream on high speed to medium-firm peaks.
• Melt the bloomed gelatin in the microwave just until melted and clear, 15 to 20 seconds; do not overheat as this will kill the gelatin! Stir the gelatin into the chilled orange juice mixture until combined, and then pour the orange juice mixture into the whipped cream. Mix completely and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the strawberry passion fruit Italian meringue buttercream: Put the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a heavy saucepan and heat over high heat until the sugar mixture registers 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While the sugar is cooking, whip the egg whites on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer to the soft-peak stage (the whites will look foamy and white), being careful not to over-whip. (If the whites start to look clumpy, they've been over-whipped. If this happens, toss them out and start again. If the whites are beating faster than the sugar is cooking, turn down the mixer speed. You can always turn up the speed if you need to.) Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping.
• While the egg whites are whipping on medium speed, gently pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl. Turn the speed up to high and whip until the mixing bowl no longer feels warm to the touch, about 7 minutes. Turn the mixer speed back to medium, add the butter in small chunks and mix until completely incorporated. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the strawberry and passion fruit purees. Turn the mixer back to medium-low speed and mix until the purees have been incorporated.
• Fit an 18-inch piping bag with a round tip and twist and hold the bag right by the tip to prevent the buttercream from leaking out. Fold the top of the piping bag over your hand and spoon the buttercream into the bag.
• To assemble: Use an apple corer or knife to core out the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with some of the orange mousse filling, and frost the top of each with some of the strawberry passion fruit Italian meringue buttercream.

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.