Thank goodness they’re such good brain food! (These days my brain needs all the help it can get.) My twelve year old nephew is in town which is perfect excuse to make shortcake of any variety.Unlike with strawberries, where all you have to do is cut them and sprinkle them with sugar, to get the blueberries juicy enough for shortcake it works well to cook them, just a little, with sugar. This way more juices are released. This recipe makes a lot of blueberry topping. If you find you have leftover, it’s great over ice cream, or better yet, pancakes.
5 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 pinch cinnamon
Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour Pinch cinnamon Pinch ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 7/8 cup (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) heavy whipping cream 1 large egg* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Heavy cream for whipping
Use a potato masher to mash some of the berries to help release their juices. Remove from heat and let come to room temp. Using a pastry round (or the lightly floured ridges of drinking glasses) cut into biscuit forms and place 1 1/2-inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. You can also cut the biscuits into squares if that’s easier. The the dough is too soft to work with, put it in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes first.
