Lemon-Blueberry Shortcakes

While some cooks like to spoon berries over pound cake, sponge cake, and even angel food cake, my idea of a shortcake definitely involves a biscuit with juicy fruit to ladle over it. These shortcakes are made with cornmeal, which gives them some extra flavor and texture. A good shortcake should have a fine, crumbly texture, somewhere between a scone and a slice of cake. The interior should be soft and moist, while the exterior should be lightly crisp and golden.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 37 minutes

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• Lemon-Blueberry Compote
• 4 cups fresh or thawed, frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

Preparation:

1. Make compote: In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of the blueberries, the water, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the berries soften into a sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the remaining 2 cups berries, lemon zest, and vanilla. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blended or your fingers, cut the cream cheese into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup buttermilk, the oil, and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk mixture and stir with a fork just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a 3/4-inch thick disk. With a floured knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Arrange wedges on prepared baking sheet.

4. In a small bowl, combine the pecans and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Brush the tops of shortcakes with the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle with the pecan mixture.

5. Bake the shortcakes until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. To serve, split the warm shortcakes in half with a serrated knife. Set the bottom on dessert plates. Spoon over the blueberry compote. Set the tops at an angle over filling and serve right away.

Recipe Notes

• Shortcake biscutis are best served hot from the oven. If they must be reheated, wrap them in aluminum foil and heat at 350°F for 10 minutes. To freeze, place them in plastic freezer bags and freeze up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature, then reheat.
• The shortcake makes or breaks this dessert--if it’s tough or dry, the dessert loses its appeal. A good shortcake should have a fine, crumbly texture, somewhere between a scone and a slice of cake. The interior should be soft and moist, while the exterior should be lightly crisp and golden.
• When mixing the dough for shortcakes, be gentle and work quickly, or the shortcakes with be tough. On the other hand, don’t undermix the dough. Kneading further distributes the leaven and develops the gluten in the four just enough to support the shortcakes as the cake rises.
• After cutting out shortcakes, reroll the dough by pressing the scraps together rather than kneading again.