June 28, 2013

All American Berry Buttermilk Shortcake

Name: All American Berry Buttermilk Shortcake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 -7 shortcakes
Ingredients: 2 ¼ cup all purpose or gluten-free flour ((I used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour) plus extra for patting down the dough); ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated Sugar; 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder; ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda; ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt; 6 tablespoons cold (, Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces); 2/3 cup Buttermilk ((plus a bit extra for glazing)); 1 large Egg Yolk; 1 ½ plus ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract; 2 cups Strawberries (, hulled and sliced); 2 cups Blueberries; 1/3 cup Baker’s ((fine grain) Sugar); 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream; 3- inch diameter cookie cutter or biscuit cutter

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There is nothing that tastes more like summer than All American Berry Buttermilk Shortcake. Light, flaky (gluten-free) shortcake are the perfect base for fresh strawberries and blueberries topped with lofty sweet whipped cream!

When considering a patriotic dessert for July 4^th or any summer meal frankly, Strawberry Shortcake is a classic in most households. The strawberry is rivaled only by the tomato as the summer produce poster child, showcasing the highest sweetness when naturally ripened. Paired with light, flaky shortcake (not to be confused with shortbread or sponge cake cups sold in grocery stores), and a dollop of freshly whipped cream, and the season is deemed in full swing. This patriotic version is perfect for summer and Fourth of July, All American Berry Buttermilk Shortcake.

Want more red, white and blue inspiration? Check out my Fourth of July recipes and my Fourth of July Pinterest board!

The Roots of All American Berry Buttermilk Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake was first noted in the mid 1800’s in the U.S. coinciding with transcontinental railroad making strawberries available more readily, shipping them on ice from coast to coast. The shortcake is different than the shortcake cookie of Scottish descent. It is a scone-like sweet biscuit using shortening or butter providing it be flakier than its traditional sister sponge cake.

In the case of my recipe, four times is a charm! I love to develop recipes but unquestionably baking is a different beast than cooking. Add altitude and gluten-free to that and the cooking fairy often must be in the kitchen sprinkling a bit of love in the oven for success!

After three failed attempts I resorted to adapting a shortcake recipe from a 20 year old baking book my husband picked up as an addition to our hundreds (literally) of cookbooks. I was so glad he had for though the original recipe was not gluten-free my modifications worked (or the cooking fairy showed up in the nick of time) to produce a perfectly structured shortcake, flaky on the outside and moist in the center.

Adding buttermilk felt homey and nostalgic as you’d hope Americana recipes would be. This does not disappoint and will bring some sweet red, white and blue to your July 4^th table!

Setting a fun table for Fourth of July is so easy with adding a bit of red, white and blue to whatever you are serving. I love these old school wooden striped forks and spoons. They remind me of an old fashioned celebration. Red Gingham napkins add a fun touch too.

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