Flaky and fluffy mini honey buttermilk biscuits served with macerated summer berries and whipped cream to make up this simple yet fancy Deconstructed Berries and Cream Shortcake. A little mint, a little Grand Marnier and a touch of caramelized sugar dust add complexity and fun to the dish.
Are you putting caramel dust in your coffee yet? If you’ve made a whole jar like me and aren’t sure what else you can do with it, well it’s your lucky day. This Deconstructed Berries and Cream Shortcake built out the berries and cream recipe from my favorite movie Chef, added some biscuits on the side to make a simple summer berry shortcake.
How to make Deconstructed Berries n Cream Shortcake
For this berry shortcake recipe, I used a mix of strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry. You can use all four or a mix of your choosing. Macerate the berries in caramelized sugar dust and refrigerate it for at least an hour. You can still make this recipe without caramel dust, just use granulated sugar instead.
While the berries rest, make the honey buttermilk biscuits. I cut up the biscuits using my Linzer Cookie Cutter round insert, any small round cookie cutter will do. If you’d rather not fuss with cookie cutter, you can simply cut the biscuits into 1” squares using a serrated knife, which would be a whole lot quicker. Place these on a baking sheet, brush with a bit of buttermilk and sprinkle turbinado on top for shine and bake until golden brown.
Just before serving your mixed berry shortcake, fold the mints and Grand Marnier into the macerated berries. If you don’t want to add alcohol to the dish, you can certainly skip it. I suggest a splash of orange extract if you have on hand, or a little bit orange zest will make an excellent nonalcoholic substitute. Once plated, dust the whole plate with a bit of extra caramelized sugar dust if desired.
This recipe will make an awesome build your own shortcake dessert bar for your summer BBQ. You can prepare the berries separately and allow your guests to choose which mix of berries they would like on their plate. They can add as much whipped cream and biscuits to their liking and you get to skip plating. I think that’s a win-win!
More Shortcakes
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @wildwildwhisk on Instagram. I’d love to see what’s cooking up in your kitchen. Cheers!
📖 Recipe card
Deconstructed Berries and Cream Shortcake
Ingredients
For Berries
- 1 cup strawberry ((148 g))
- 1 cup raspberry ((125 g))
- 1 cup blackberry ((142 g))
- 1 cup blueberry ((153 g))
- ½ cup caramelized sugar dust ((85 g, can substitute granulated sugar))
- 6 mint leaves ((julienned))
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier ((optional, see notes))
For Biscuits
- 1 cup all-purpose flour ((125 g))
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ((1 g))
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda ((1 g))
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder ((7 g))
- 1.5 oz unsalted butter ((43 g, cold and cubed))
- 3 oz buttermilk ((85 g, cold))
- 2 tablespoon honey ((43 g))
- Extra buttermilk for brushing
- Turbinado or raw sugar for topping
For Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heaving whipping cream ((240 g))
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar ((23 g))
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ((4 g))
Instructions
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Add berries to a large mixing bowl and toss with a half cup of caramelized sugar dust or granulated sugar. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
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In the mean time, preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Add flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder to a medium mixing bowl and mix with a whisk to combine. Toss the cubed butter in the flour mixture and work it into the flour with the tip of your fingers until about pea size and larger. You want the butter pieces to be different sizes and more flat than round.
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Whisk together buttermilk and honey. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Fold with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
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Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, pat the dough out to about ½” thick and fold it over itself. Do this two to three times and then shape the dough into a rectangle.
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With a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 4.5”x9”. Fold in three like a letter. Roll the folded rectangle out one more time, and fold it again. This will create distinct layers when baked. Then roll it into a ½” thick rectangle, about 5”x6". Cut into small squares with a knife or use a round cutter to cut into small medallions.
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Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, brush the top and sides with some extra buttermilk, sprinkle the top with turbinado or raw sugar.
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Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool.
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Now to make whipped cream, add heavy whipping cream, and sugar to your stand mixer bowl. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until the mixture thickens slightly. Stream in the vanilla extract and continue to beat until stiff peak forms. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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Just before serving, fold the julienned mints and Grand Marnier into the berries. Spoon berries on a plate, add whipped cream and biscuits on the side, sprinkle with extra caramel dust if desired.
Notes
- Caramelized sugar dust can be substituted with granulated sugar in the same amount.
- I used the round insert for my Linzer cookie cutter to cut up the biscuits for this recipe, but you can also just cut them into squares using a serrated knife. Use extra flour on the knife or cookie cutter to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
- Grand Marnier can be omitted, instead you can substitute a splash of orange extract or some orange zest if desired. Use flavoring substitute sparingly so it is not overpowering.
Nutrition
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Kenneth Orloff
yum!