Shortcake Twist

I, as so many of us do, go through phases of being totally into a certain food item. This month has been the month of raspberries for me. These little deep red berries with their sweet tartiness have enchanted my taste buds in so many ways. There are after all, so many different things to pair raspberries with and also, so many different forms to enjoy them in. Fresh, jam, dipped in chocolate (white/dark/milk), frozen yogurt and best (my favourite) in or on top of a sweet and decadent dessert!
Now I know that the standard for shortcakes is to pair them with strawberries, and without a doubt this is a fantastic pairing, but today I want to share with you a raspberry shortcake recipe that I hope will have you coming back for seconds and thirds.

Raspberry Shortcake

2 cups raspberries, green parts trimmed off, berries cut into chunks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

Directions
In a bowl, toss the raspberries with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest. Mix in the whipped cream until the mixture is moistened and just forms a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly just to bring the dough together.

Form the dough into a log then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a long rectangle about 1-inch thick and 3 inches wide. Making diagonal strokes with a sharp knife, cut into 4 or 6 large triangular biscuits. Arrange on a sheet pan and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

When ready to serve, split the biscuits in half horizontally. Place the bottoms on serving plates. On each, place a spoonful of raspberries with the syrup that has collected in the bowl, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of brown sugar. Place the top halves of the biscuits on top. Serve immediately.

Now for an over the top sweet, why not make a little pot of white chocolate fondue to enjoy the rest of your raspberries with! Mmmm, now that sounds like sugar overload, and that is just the way I like it ;) Bon appetite!