It must have been Mercury in retrograde recently because everything seemed to go wrong. While we were having dinner at home, I got a call at 8:20pm from the restaurant where I had made a reservation. They were asking if we were still coming for our 8pm booking. I was convinced I had reserved for the following night, but it turned out I had made a mistake and the reservation was actually for that evening. Thankfully, the restaurant is popular with walk-ins, so the table didn’t stay empty. Still, I felt awful. We did manage to go the next night, though. To top it off, on that same day, while I was typing up a recipe, my blogging platform logged me out unexpectedly. When I logged back in, the entire post, including the recipe, was gone.
Feeling like my head was about to implode, I decided to take a walk to clear my mind. I planned to come back later and rewrite everything from scratch. A few people mentioned that Mercury was in retrograde, and sure enough, as soon as I returned, construction started upstairs. The sound of jackhammering filled the air while I tried to input all the ingredients into the recipe plug-in I use, ensuring the recipes are printable and all the conversions are correct.
By evening, some other neighbors decided to throw a party. Their voices were so loud, they could be heard down the block. (So much for the stereotype that Americans are the loudest!) Despite the chaos, the day was saved by these delicious Mixed Berry Shortcakes we had for dessert that night.
Despite the unpleasantness of the day, there was a silver lining: I scored several baskets of very ripe strawberries at the market that morning. They were so ripe they wouldn’t have lasted another day, which is often when fruit tastes its best. With my "use-it-or-lose-it" mentality, I decided to make a batch of Mixed Berry Shortcakes. I also had some artisanal butter with a slight funk to it that I wasn’t sure how to use. I don’t usually mind that kind of flavor—animal products that aren’t industrial sometimes have it—but it wasn’t great on my toast in the morning. So, I used it to make the shortbread biscuits for the shortcakes.
What makes these shortcakes truly special is the strawberry coulis—an uncooked, almost-purée of berries that becomes juicier and more flavorful the longer it sits. This ensures plenty of delicious sauce to moisten everything, preventing the biscuit under the fruit from becoming dry, as can happen if you only use sliced berries. You can use any mix of berries with this shortcake recipe, but I had an abundance of strawberries, so I got them macerating right away. I then rolled out my biscuits and baked them. They didn’t rise as much as usual, possibly due to the farm butter or maybe that Mercury retrograde (in my Peach Shortcakes post, you can see how they normally turn out). Nonetheless, with their crunchy topping, there were zero complaints—including from me, who snagged one while rewriting this post. Don’t worry, the odd flavor of the butter disappeared in the mix.
Kirsch, a clear cherry distillate, magically enhances the flavor of berries and summer fruits. However, a reader once mentioned that they didn’t notice much cherry flavor in their pricey bottle (and they used a good one). So, don’t expect a pronounced cherry taste. Like the unseen forces that erase blog posts, delete recipes, and make reservations for the wrong night, it works in mysterious ways, and I stand by it.
After wrapping up the day and enjoying the dessert, I hope the planets will align for you to make these truly wonderful shortcakes. They are a delightful combination of fresh berries, softly whipped cream, and a flaky, crunchy biscuit. While I can't promise it will solve all your problems, I'm sure that regardless of the stars' alignment, this dessert will be a hit with everyone who tries it.
With my head on the verge of imploding, I decided to go for a walk, then head back a little later and get back to rewriting everything up from scratch. A few people told me mercury was in retrograde, so, of course, the moment I returned, they started doing construction upstairs, so was subjected to the sounds of jackhammering while trying to fill in all the ingredients in the recipe plug-in I use, so the recipes are printable, and to make sure I got all the ingredients and so forth in the right place, and the conversions.
By the time evening rolled around, some other neighbors decided to have a party and their voices were so loud, they could be heard all the way down the block. (So much for les américains having the loudest voices in town anymore.) What made up for it were these Mixed Berry Shortcakes, which we had for dessert that night.
Mix Berry Shortcakes :
Feel free to mix and match your favorite berries for this recipe. You can use blackberries, cherries, red currants, or stick to the classic all-strawberry version. Adjust the sugar based on the sweetness of your berries. The addition of kirsch is optional, but it enhances the berry flavor. Alternatively, you can use a splash of crème de cassis or lemon juice. If you have extra biscuit dough, reroll the scraps to make a few more biscuits. These can be enjoyed for breakfast with butter and jam or frozen for up to two months for future shortcakes.
Servings: 6
For the Shortcakes (Biscuits):
- - 2 1/2 cups (350g) flour
- - 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
- - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminium-free preferred)
- - 1 teaspoon salt
- - 10 tablespoons (5 ounces, 140g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- - 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream or buttermilk
- - 1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 teaspoon cream or milk (for glaze)
For the Berries:
- - 6 cups (1 pound, 4 ounces/750g) strawberries, hulled
- - 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces, 160g) raspberries
- - 1 cup (4 ounces, 130g) blueberries
- - 3 tablespoons sugar (total)
- - 1-2 teaspoons kirsch (optional)
For the Whipped Cream:
- - 1 1/2 cups (375ml) heavy cream
- - 3 tablespoons sugar
- - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Biscuits:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Make the Dough:
In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the chilled butter and mix on low speed until the butter pieces are the size of large corn kernels. Add the cream or buttermilk and mix until the dough just comes together.
3. Shape the Biscuits:
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 3/4-inch (2cm) thickness. Use a 2 1/2-inch (8cm) biscuit cutter, dipped in flour, to cut out six biscuits. Gather scraps, reroll, and cut out additional biscuits if possible. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg yolk glaze, sprinkle with extra sugar, and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
4. Prepare the Berries:
In a medium bowl, mash half the strawberries with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon kirsch (if using) until juicy. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to release more juice. In another bowl, mix the remaining sliced or quartered strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining kirsch.
5. Whip the Cream:
Using a stand mixer with a whip attachment or a whisk, whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue whipping until the cream holds its shape.
6. Assemble the Shortcakes:
Cut each biscuit in half crosswise. Place the bottom halves on six plates. Spoon a generous amount of mashed berries and their juice over each bottom. Add a dollop of whipped cream, then top with mixed berries. Place the top halves of the biscuits over the shortcakes and serve.