Lemon blueberry shortcake
Hosting a dinner party allows you the freedom to choose a dessert that may not necessarily travel very easily. David had originally suggested making lemon soufflés, which definitely can't travel, but I was determined to try something new. I'd only ever had shortcakes with strawberries, so a lemon-blueberry combination seemed intriguing. Plus, we've both been loving lemon-flavoured desserts of late, so this was recipe fit nicely into our loving-lemon theme.
Recipe
from Bon Appetit DessertsServes 6 Berry Compote16 oz frozen wild blueberries or regular blueberries1/3 cup sugar1 tbsp cornstarch1 tbsp fresh lemon juiceLemon Cream1/4 cup fresh lemon juice1/4 cup sugar2 large egg yolks1 cup chilled heavy whipping creamCakes1/3 cup sugar1 tbsp finely grated lemon peel1-1/2 cups all purpose flour2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt6 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp chilled heavy whipping cream1 tbsp fresh lemon juiceBerry Compote: Cook blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Continue to cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. CoolLemon Cream: Whisk lemon juice, sugar and egg yolks in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Transfer lemon curd to bowl and set aside to cool completely. Whip cream in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold half of cream into lemon curd to lighten; fold in remaining cream. Cover and chill lemon cream until ready to assemble shortcakes.Cakes: Preheat oven to 400 F. Place sugar and lemon peel in large bowl. Press with back of spoon to release oils from peel. Reserve 2 tbsp lemon sugar in small bowl. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to lemon sugar in large bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 1/3 cup cream and lemon juice in small bowl. Pour cream mixture over flour mixture and stir with fork to form dough. Pour cream mixture over flour mixture and stir with fork to form dough. Gather dough into ball; press out to 1" thickness on lightly floured surface. Using 2-1/2" diameter cutter, cut out rounds. Transfer cake rounds to heavy baking sheet.Brush cake tops with remaining 1 tbsp cream and sprinkle with reserved lemon sugar. Bake shortcakes until just golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Using serrated knife, cut warm or room-temperature shortcakes in half horizontally. Place bottom halves, cut side up, on each of 6 plates. Top cake halves with berry compote and lemon cream. Cover with cake tops and serve.
Musings
A few notes on preparation: I don't have a circular cutter, so I just cut them into vaguely rectangular shapes. I also didn't end up cutting them in half, as they weren't terribly thick to begin with.The shortcake turned out wonderfully and was relatively straightforward to make. The lemon cream was tart with a hint of sweetness--a nice juxtaposition to the sweetness of the blueberry compote. The shortcake itself had a nice, crumbly texture, almost like a shortbread. The leftover shortcake and its accoutrement made a lovely breakfast the next day as well. Definitely a recipe to re-vist!