With strawberries still available and peaches and other berries on the
way, forget chocolate or whatever your usual favorite dessert is.
Nothing can match delicious, in-season, fresh fruit for dessert. Local
strawberries or peaches are at their most flavorful when they come from
nearby gardens or orchards.
Thanks to refrigerated flaky biscuits � the layered canned
biscuits � you can have a jiffy version of shortcake that, to me, is
better than the homemade biscuit-style shortcake.
Strawberry/Peach Shortcake Ring went together quickly, baked fast and
made a handsome presentation at the table. This is a good �after-work�
recipe. You may use this with a combination of the fruits of your
choice.
Lemon Fluff Shortcake, using canned biscuits and fruit (even melon
balls or quartered kiwi would be good with the creamy lemon sauce), is
both good and good-looking. The lemon sauce is a good sauce recipe for
many occasions � top pound cake, gingerbread, or serve alone with fruit
slices.
Lemon Fluff Shortcake
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
2 eggs, separated
1 t grated lemon peel
1⁄4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T sugar
1 can (10-oz.) refrigerated flaky biscuits
2 T sugar
2 T margarine, melted
2 cups fruit (strawberries, peaches, kiwi quarters, cantaloupe or
honeydew melon balls)
Directions: Heat oven to 400˚. Grease or spray a
cookie sheet. In medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in
water. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat. In small bowl or measuring cup, combine egg
yolks with 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon peel and lemon juice. Add small amount
to hot cornstarch mixture and stir. Combine egg mixture with cornstarch
mixture in saucepan. Blend well and cook just until sauce starts to
bubble. Stir constantly. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese. Beat until
smooth. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks
form. Fold into cooled lemon mixture. Chill.
Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Combine remaining sugar and lemon
peel. Gently press 2 biscuits together for each shortcake. Dip top and
sides of each in margarine, then in sugar mixture. Place on prepared
cookie sheet. Bake at 400˚ for 12 to 16 minutes or until golden
brown. Cool. Just before serving, fold fruit into lemon sauce. Split
shortcakes. Fill with sauce. Top with additional lemon mixture. Makes 5
servings.
Strawberry/Peach Shortcake Ring
Ingredients:
2 pints (4 cups) fresh strawberries, whole or sliced
3 peaches, sliced
1⁄4 cup Cointreau (orange) liqueur or 1⁄4 cup
orange juice
2 T sugar
2 cans (10-oz.) refrigerated flaky layer biscuits
1⁄4 c (4 T) margarine or butter, melted
1⁄2 c sugar
2 T grated orange peel (rind from 2 oranges)
Whipped cream, sweetened
Directions: Heat oven to 375˚. Grease or spray a 6
1⁄2-cup ring mold or 12-cup fluted tube pan. In large bowl, combine
strawberries and peaches. Add liqueur and 2 tablespoons sugar. Gently stir
to coat all the fruit and set aside. Combine 1⁄2 cup sugar and
orange peel. Separate dough into 20 biscuits. Dip biscuits into melted
margarine and then into sugar/orange-peel mixture. Place biscuits on edge
in tube pan until biscuits fill the pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or
until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately. Fill center of ring with
fruit. To serve, slice ring, top with fruit and a dollop of whipped cream.
Makes 10 servings.
