Blueberry Shortcakes

P1050698 This is what we’ll be having after dinner on Father’s Day. Or it could be dinner on Father’s Day, depending on how things go at the restaurant today. We had plans to make a lovely dinner on Mother’s Day, but when the dining room finally cleared, all we could do was look at one another, drained and depleted, pour a round of mimosas and shout our dinner orders to the poor souls still on their feet in the kitchen. (For all my hand-wringing, there are some very nice benefits to owning a restaurant.)

This fantastic-looking dessert is simply a no-roll biscuit layered with a partly cooked, partly fresh blueberry sauce jazzed up with lemon, and whipped cream. It was on the cover of a Fine Cooking magazine from 1998. And yes, I save all my foodie mags, even moving them across state lines. We aren’t in danger of being displaced by them, yet, like those people who horde newspapers, because there have been many years when I had only a few (or no) subscriptions. And there are some magazines that just aren’t what they once were. (Yeah, Martha, I’m looking at you.)

You could use other fruit for this shortcake. I’ve used a blueberry-blackberry combo before that was nummy.

The original recipe had fresh nutmeg in both the biscuits and the blueberry sauce, but I didn’t like that addition one bit, so I’ve always left it out. Until one day it dawned on me to try fresh ginger. The ginger lent another kick to the recipe that was very nice, but please don’t make a special trip for a knob of ginger. This is plenty crowd-wowing without it.

And, since it’s biscuits and fruit, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that this would make a fantastic breakfast surprise some day. (The above photo was taken on the first morning of one of Grandpa’s visits last year.)

Blueberry Shortcakes with Rustic Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from Susan G. Purdy’s recipe in September 1998’s Fine Cooking)
Serves 6

For the biscuits:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (optional)
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1 cup buttermilk, plus more for glaze
raw sugar for sprinkling (optional)

For the blueberries:
6 heaping cups blueberries, picked over, rinsed and patted dry (a half-gallon of berries will yield you 6 heaping cups plus enough to snack on while you work)
1/4 cup sugar; more to taste
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (the zest of about half a lemon)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (optional)
fresh lemon juice to taste (the juice of about half a lemon)

For the whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I don’t use the vanilla, though)

To make the biscuits:
Set a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat liner or parchment paper or lightly grease it with shortening or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest and ginger, if you’re using it. With a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (The largest pieces will be smaller than pea-sized.) Gently stir in the buttermilk until the dough just holds together with no large dry lumps.

Spoon the dough onto the baking sheet in six equal mounds. Brush the tops with the buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the peaks have begun to brown and the bottoms are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for one minute and then transfer to a wire rack. While still slightly warm, slice the biscuits open with a serrated knife.

To make the blueberry filling:
While the biscuits are in the oven, set aside 2 cups of the blueberries. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the remaining 4 cups of blueberries, sugar, water, lemon zest and optional ginger. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently until the berries start to burst and the mixture is very soft and juicy, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat. Taste and add lemon juice and additional sugar, if necessary.

If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat the blueberry sauce until very warm and stir in the reserved blueberries.

To make the whipped cream:
Place the bowl of a standing mixer (or a stainless steel mixing bowl if whipping by hand) in the freezer for 15 minutes. Add cream and sugar (and vanilla) to the bowl. Whip until medium peaks form.

To assemble:
Put the bottom half of each biscuit on a plate or shallow bowl. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the blueberry mixture onto the biscuit and a few dollops of whipped cream. Cover with the biscuit top. Spoon on more blueberries and top with another dollop of whipped cream.

Serve immediately, passing any remaining blueberry mixture at the table.

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