Cinnamon Crunch Very-Berry Shortcakes

Submitted by evelynathens

"Make sure you use your fingers to open these flaky biscuits!!! Using a knife will crush their flaky layers."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• Bisuit Dough

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces cold butter, cut into ½ inch dice
• 3⁄4 cup cold milk
• 2 cups raspberries
• 1 1⁄2 cups blackberries
• 2 cups blueberries
• 2⁄3 cup sugar, plus
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 4 ounces butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• whipped cream, for serving

directions

1. First prepare the biscuit dough: Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
2. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal (with some lumps the size of peas).
3. Drizzle the milk evenly over the dry ingredients and work in with fork just until incorporated and the dough forms small clumps.
4. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and knead once or twice to gather it into a mass – DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH – pat into a rectangle.
5. The dough can be made up to 2 hour ahead; wrap tightly and refrigerate.
6. Preheat the oven to 450F.
7. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the Biscuit Dough ½ to ¾ inch thick.
8. Using a heart-shaped or any other biscuit cutter that measures 3 inches across, cut out 5 shortcakes as close together as possible.
9. Press the cutter straight down; don’t twist it.
10. If the cutter sticks to the dough, dip it in flour between cuts.
11. Gather the scraps together and press or roll out as before.
12. Cut out 2 more shortcakes.
13. Press the remaining scraps into a ball, flatten and cut out the last shortcake.
14. Alternatively, on a lightly-floured surface, pat the dough into an 8 inch round.
15. Halve the round, then cut each half into 3 wedges for a total of 6 triangular shortcakes.
16. Place the shortcakes on an ungreased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
17. In a medium bowl, gently toss the raspberries and blackberries to combine.
18. In a medium saucepan, gently toss the blueberries with 2/3 cup of the sugar and 2 tsps of the water.
19. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring once or twice, just until the blueberries start to pop and release their juices, about 5 minutes.
20. If the sugar hasn’t dissolved, stir in a few more drops of water.
21. Remove from the heat and add to the raspberries and blackberries.
22. Do not stir.
23. Bake the shortcakes in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden-brown.
24. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan.
25. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar and the cinnamon.
26. Immediately after removing the shortcakes from the oven, dip them into the butter and cinnamon sugar as follows: Holding a shortcake right side up, dip the bottom in the melted butter.
27. Place the shortcake, buttered side down, in the cinnamon sugar and shake the bowl so that the sugar adheres to and completely covers the bottom.
28. Then turn the shortcake over and dip the top in the butter and cinnamon sugar in the same manner.
29. Place the shortcake, right side up, on a plate.
30. Continue with the remaining shortcakes.
31. (If the level of the butter is too low for dipping the last shortcake, use a pastry brush to generously butter it.) Gently give the berries in the bowl a turn to distribute.
32. Using your fingers, gently split open the shortcakes.
33. Spoon about ½ cup of the berries over the bottom of each shortcake.
34. Cover with the shortcake tops and spoon a generous dollop of whipped cream alongside or over top.
35. Serve immediately.