It may be the dead of winter here in the far northeast but this dessert was a ray of summer sunshine despite the bleak temperatures outside. A bottle of good port was the inspiration for this recipe, its flavor reminded me of dark cherries and blackberries and I thought it would be a great addition to a trifle or some other luscious dessert. With not enough time to put together a complicated trifle, I opted instead for quick and simple. I soaked the berries in the port for only a couple of hours before spooning them onto freshly baked drop biscuits with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream. The berries were so delicious after only that short soak but when I tasted the leftovers the next day they were even better, so if you have the time try soaking the berries overnight.
- In a glass bowl, toss together:
- 1 1/2 cups sliced of quartered strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups blackberries
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup port wine
Cover with plastic wrap and eave to soak in the fridge for at least a couple of hours or overnight. Give the berries an occasional toss every hour or so.
I use rimmed plates as shown in the photo or very shallow bowls to serve the shortcakes, so as to contain the port and berry jucies. When serving I like to drain the port off of the berries and pour a little of it on the plate or in the bowl, for a pretty presentation. I thin split the biscuits in half horizontally, spoon on a half cup of berries per serving and top with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream before topping with the second half of the biscuit.
Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
This recipe makes about 6 large biscuits.
I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.In a food processor, combine:
1 cup flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
Cut in:
1/4 cup very cold butter, cubed
Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. Mix together:
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 ounces buttermilk
Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a rubber spatula, only enough to form a dough ball.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking pan.Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 – 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuits.
Vanilla Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Note
Source recipes -Here-
