Simply Delicious Shortcakes

Image Gallery Even the color of peaches with blueberries is a sensory treat. Photograph by Susan Belsinger

Basic Wholesome Biscuit
Strawberry Shortcakes with Herbs & Whipped Cream
Chocolate Shortcakes with Cocoa Whipped Cream
Peaches and Blueberries with Lemon Balm Syrup
Herb Syrups
Buttermilk Cream Scones with Lemon Balm
Stewed Apples with Maple Syrup

Summertime and the living is easy … time to kick back and relax, enjoy lazy summer days, vacations with friends and family, and easy, no-fuss seasonal fare.

This is my favorite time of year for fresh produce; the season provides us with an abundance of wonderful, mouthwatering fruits. Although I enjoy eating a fresh ripe peach or a handful of berries with no adornment, one of the simplest, and most scrumptious, ways to showcase these delectable fruits is piled on a homemade biscuit with freshly whipped cream.

Before heading off into mouthwatering fruit toppings, let’s first talk a bit about the history of the biscuit, which, after all, is the foundation of many a shortcake. “Biscuit” derives from the French words bis cuit, which mean “twice cooked.” This term was used originally because biscuits were twice baked – allowing them to dry out in between – which helped to keep them longer. This was how they kept sea biscuits palatable on long voyages onboard ships. The word biscuit became a part of the English language in the 1300s. In Great Britain and thereabouts, a “biscuit” refers to a flat, crisp cracker or cookie, whereas in the United States, we think of a biscuit as a round, leavened, quick bread. Seeking a tender, flaky texture, biscuits are traditionally leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda. The tradition of serving fruit with biscuits was first recorded in the mid-1800s. When the term shortcake was originally coined is not certain, but a shortcake is generally a biscuit that is split and adorned with either a sweet or savory filling.

Of course, there are many variations on the thematic shortcake: Sometimes they are made in individual small rounds, or they can be baked like a cake in a pan and the whole shortcake can be split in half, filled and reassembled. Although most shortcakes are made from a biscuit dough, or even a scone dough, nowadays we see many of them prepared with sweet dessert-type cakes like sponge or pound cakes. Today, we mostly think of shortcakes as dessert, but there are many savory recipes with creamed chicken or spinach as the filling.

The most popular star of shortcakes is the strawberry, and rightly so. When properly prepared, strawberry shortcake is a delectable combination – a perfect balance – of flavor and structure. The base is the biscuit; I prefer mine just slightly sweet. I have included a scone recipe for those of you who prefer sweeter desserts. Scones and biscuits are very similar in the way they are prepared; generally a scone is a bit sweeter and often a bit richer by adding butter or cream. Scones are most often cut into wedges, though, I often see round ones in coffee shops nowadays. Biscuits are usually cut into rounds; sometimes I cut them into squares or diamonds for variety. Both biscuits and scones make a sturdy foundation for a shortcake – cake, on the other hand, tends to get soggy quickly once juicy fruit and cream are added. Also, I find cake to be overly sweet in this preparation.