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Red, White and Blue Shortcakes

Elizabeth Heiskell's patriotic shortcake biscuits
Elizabeth Heiskell's patriotic shortcakeMike Smith / TODAY
Cook Time:
15 mins
Prep Time:
15 mins
Servings:
12
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(61)

Chef notes

Biscuits are my most favorite treat and the only thing that can make them better is seasonal fruit and whipped cream. These shortcakes are patriotic and festive while simple to assemble.

Technique tip: When using a biscuit cutter do not twist. Simply press and pull out to make sure biscuits rise to be very fluffy.

Swap option: Any fresh, seasonal fruit works beautifully.

Ingredients

Berries
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 2-3 cups quartered strawberries (about 1½ pounds)
  • 2-3 cups blueberries
Biscuits
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • Coarse granulated sugar
Whipped cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Preparation

For the berries:

In a bowl, gently toss the sugar with the strawberries and blueberries. Let sit while you make your biscuits. They will become soft and juicy.

For the biscuits:

1.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3.

Place 3/4 cup buttermilk into the freezer for 10 minutes so that it is very cold but not frozen. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Then add the butter to the buttermilk and stir so you have tiny clumps of butter in the buttermilk.

4.

Add the buttermilk, butter clumps and egg to the dry ingredients and stir together. Do not over mix (you may decide to ditch the spoon and just use your hands).

5.

Pour the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it out to about 1 inch thick. Fold it into thirds and pat it out to 1 inch thick again. This will give your biscuits layers and help them rise up to be nice and fluffy.

6.

Cut the biscuits out with a 2½-inch round cutter and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the top generously with granulated sugar.

7.

Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until the tops are just golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool (while the biscuits are cooling you can make the whipped cream).

For the whipped cream:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine heavy cream, sugar and vanilla and whip on low seed for 1-2 minutes. Then increase the speed and whip until soft peaks form (do not over mix you will have butter).

To assemble:

Once the biscuits are cooled, split and fill them with berries and cream.