Perfect Berry Shortcakes

You don’t need a food processor, pastry cutter, rolling pin or cookie cutter to make these sweet biscuits. This shortcake recipe I’ve developed yields a simple, foolproof biscuit that’s crisp yet delicate.

Original recipe makes 6 servings

Ingredients

For shortcakes:
2 cups all-purpose bleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, frozen
1 egg, beaten
1 egg white
1/2 cup cold half-and-half
To assemble:
1 (16 ounce) package unsweetened frozen raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries, thawed and crushed
12 ounces fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries (rinsed and patted dry), or strawberries (hulled and sliced)
7 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and 3 Tbs. sugar in a medium bowl. Grate 2 Tbs. of the butter on the coarse holes of a box grater into dry ingredients; toss to coat. Repeat grating and tossing with remaining butter. Combine egg and half-and-half; pour into flour mixture. Toss with a fork to form large clumps. Lightly press clumps into a ball; add a teaspoon more half-and-half to the bowl if dough won’t come together.
Turn dough onto work surface; press into an 8-by-4- to 5-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares, placing them 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before baking.) Before baking, brush tops with optional egg white for a particularly attractive sheen. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix thawed and fresh berries with sugar in a bowl; let stand until sugar dissolves. With a hand mixer, beat cream to soft peaks, gradually adding 1 Tb. sugar, then vanilla.
Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries over each cake bottom, then a dollop of whipped cream over berries. Cap with cake top and serve immediately.