Ronnie's Notes
The word short (in shortcake and shortbread) is an old English cooking term that means “crisp,” but shortcakes are a quintessentially American dessert. The combination of cool tender fruit, soft, sweet whipped cream, and crispy biscuits is irresistible. The biscuits in this recipe are incredibly easy to make—they’re “drop” biscuits, so you don’t have to roll the dough. You simply drop blobs of dough onto cookie sheets to bake. When I want to serve plain breakfast biscuits I use this recipe but leave out the ginger. Biscuits are always best when freshly made but you can bake them ahead and store them in the freezer in a plastic bag.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Slice the berries, sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons sugar, and set aside in a bowl.
In another bowl, mix the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Add the lemon peel, crystallized ginger, and butter and work into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk together with a fork until well combined.
Add to the flour mixture and mix until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Drop 6–8 equal mounds of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for about 12– or until puffed and lightly brown.
Whip the cream with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar until the mixture stands in soft peaks, but is still slightly pourable.
To assemble the dessert, cut the biscuits in half and place each bottom half on a serving dish.
Place the berries on top.
Pour some of the cream on top.
Top with the remaining biscuit halves.
Makes 6–8 servings.