Berries: An Abundant And Guilt-Free Indulgence

, and in Town and Country and and in Manchester, along with area farmers markets, are brimming with berries. A delicious and guilt-free treat, berries are flavorful and juicy, with unmistakable sweetness. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are visually captivating with reds, pinks, blues and purples. The pigments that give berries their beautiful hues are also good for your health. Requiring little or no chopping or preparation, at approximately 60 calories per cup, berries contain a generous amount of vitamin C. Also found are minerals, phytochemicals and flavonoids (for cancer prevention), potassium, calcium, magnesium, folate and lutein (for healthy vision), all in varying amounts. So feel free to indulge and splurge.

Choose berries that are plump and deeply colored because they will not ripen further after they have been picked. Of course, avoid packages with crushed or moldy berries. Store them uncovered in the refrigerator without rinsing until just before you are ready to use them.

If you want to get creative, berries are great in shortcakes, muffins, pies, tarts, scones and preserves. They can be used in combination with many other fruits coming into season such as nectarines and peaches. For the following recipe any berry, peach, plum, nectarine or apricot can be substituted for the strawberry. Any flavoring can be substituted for the vanilla (cointreau, almond, amaretto, etc.)

The key point in making a fluffy, flaky and tender biscuit is making sure the butter is cold and handling the dough as little as possible once the butter is cut into the flour. The evaporating moisture from the butter steams the layers of dough and makes the biscuits flaky. The same principle applies when making pie and tart dough, and scones.

Strawberry Shortcake, serves 12
Ingredients:

Strawberries
2 pounds strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons sugar (to taste, depending on berries)

Shortcakes (biscuits)
4 cups all-purpose flour, more for rolling
2/3 cups sugar, more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into walnut-sized pieces
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream, more for brushing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whipped Cream
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Method:

Strawberries:

1. Reserve 12 whole strawberries. Slice the remaining berries and mix with sugar to taste (optional).

Biscuits:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Whisk flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Using a pastry blender or fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, heavy cream and buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid until just moistened and holds together. 
4. Gently knead the dough a few times (do not overmix) and transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 3/4-inchthickness and cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Gently knead the dough scraps together, reroll, and cut out more biscuits until you have a total of 12.
5. Brush the biscuit tops with 2 tablespoons of cream and sprinkle with the  about 2 tablespoons of sugar.
6. Bake until the biscuit tops are golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Whipping the cream:

1. For best results, make sure whisk and bowl are ice cold.
2. Whip the heavy cream and sugar with an electric mixer or by hand.

Assembly:

1. Using a serrated knife, slice the biscuits in half horizontally.
2. Spoon strawberries and their juice evenly over the biscuit bottoms (except for reserved 12).
3. Top with a large spoonful of whipped cream and cover each with a biscuit top.
4. Top each biscuit with a dollop of whipped cream and place one reserved strawberry on each biscuit.

Enjoy this season of abundance. Abundance in fruit, sunshine and enjoyment. Happy summer.