Summer Fruit Shortcakes

Summer fruits provide fresh take on desserts. Shortcakes are quick, elegant, and can be filled with most any type of fruit.
 
Shortcakes are basically a biscuit enriched with sugar and egg. Mix flour, sugar, leavening, and little salt together, then cut in a fat (butter adds the best flavor). Stir in some milk and egg to make an enriched dough.

Gently knead so the dough comes together and form a rectangle about 1 inch thick.

​Cut 2 inch rounds from dough and place on baking sheet. I like to use parchment paper. Top with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until golden brown.

Top with fruit, whipped cream, or yogurt, and enjoy.

Shortcakes
 
2 cups flour
7 TBS sugar, divided
1 Tbs baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 Tbs butter, cold cut into small pieces
2/3 C whole milk (or half and half)
1 egg
1 egg white
Fruit, sugar, and whipped cream or yogurt for serving.
 
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix flour, 5 Tbs sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, cut butter into dry ingredients until the consistency of sand. Blend the milk and egg together. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the milk and egg mixture. Gently stir together until combined and dough comes together, being careful not to overmix. Lightly flour counter pat dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut out biscuit rounds (about 2-1/2 inch cutter) and place on baking sheet. Lightly beat egg white. Brush tops of shortcakes with egg white, then sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
 
To serve, mix your favorite summer fruit (sliced peaches, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) with a little sugar to make a juicy fruity mix. Cut each shortcake horizontally, spoon on fruit, add a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt to biscuit bottom, top with biscuit top.