a berry shortcake platter . . .

It's hard to believe that Summer officially begins next Saturday!

Although I'm not a fan of the heat that Summer brings, I am a big fan of al fresco dinners, light meals, fresh vegetables, gorgeous fruits (berries! berries! berries!), and late evening sunsets . . . all of which are a hallmark of Summer.

I thought it would be fun to share photos of a Berry Shortcake platter that I put together for a Memorial weekend gathering last month.

Our friends invited us to spend time with them for a little fun in the sun, so I wanted to bring a festive Summer-inspired dessert that would be easy to enjoy outside.

Strawberry & white chocolate cookies came to mind, but then I remembered what a hit my 'berry shortcake bar/station' was last year, so I made it for our friends' gathering this year.
 
It's simple to prepare . . . and so much fun to eat!

I garnished the berries on the platter with strawberry leaves from our garden.

The extra green brightened up the berries! It was so pretty and festive. But if you don't have access to strawberry leaves, then sprigs of mint would look quite pretty too.

The base of the berry shortcakes are sour cream scones. 

I think it's fun to make them on the small side, like a two-bite appetizer, snack, or dessert . . .  so I use a 2-inch scalloped round cookie cutter.

I cluster the berries on one end, place big bowls of fresh whipped cream in the middle, and then pile fresh sour cream scones on the other end. Place a few festive napkins near the platter, and then watch your guests have fun assembling their own shortcakes!

It's a fun, light, and delicious dessert for any Summer gathering!

  

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very berry sour cream shortcakes

Instead of fussing over desserts this Fourth of July, host a . . . 

                                 Very Berry Shortcake bar! . . .

              allowing your guests to assemble their very own shortcakes!

All you need are . . . 

Sour Cream Scones

 ~ assorted berries ~

strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries

and

fresh whipped cream

 

I make shortcakes using my recipe for Sour Cream Scones.

They're similar to biscuits, but slightly sweet, tender, and moist!

Sour Cream "Shortcakes" are so delicious and easy to make!

The crispy top (courtesy of the baked raw sugar, yum!) . . . make these Very Berry Shortcakes extra special.

A sweet (but not too sweet) Summer dessert . . .

perfect for the Fourth of July!

More Fourth of July inspirations here.

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sour cream scones

  
I adore scones.  
  
Because scones offer just a hint of sweetness, you will find that they are a wonderful accompaniment to most beverages and menus.  

One of my favorites is the sour cream scone. It's the perfect scone if you're wanting to serve a light sweet treat with an array of spreads, like lemon curd or a home-made blackberry preserve. 
  
Sour cream scones are the perfect combination of butter and sour cream that marry to bake an incredibly tender and moist scone And what about the outside texture of the scone you might ask? Well, it's just irresistible.  Something magical happens in the oven when you've brushed the tops with heavy cream, and then sprinkled them with raw sugar . . . a heavenly sweet crust forms atop each one. The sweetness of the raw sugar rounds out the hint of sweetness found in the scone itself.  
  

This wonderful recipe always finds a place on my brunch menu, and I'm often asked for the recipe. I must admit that this posting is long overdue!  
  
Don't wait for a special occasion to make this treat.  If you don't have any spreads, fresh berries and cream taste absolutely wonderful as well. It's a quick and easy recipe that you and your family will truly enjoy! Bon appetit!  
  

 

Here's how . . .

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, COLD, cubed

1 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar in the raw  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Be sure that all your ingredients are COLD.

In a food processor (or mixer), pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cubed butter until a coarse meal forms. Pulse in the sour cream and egg yolk until just combined.

Turn the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together into a ball. Gently pat the dough down into a 3/4 inch thick circle shape. 

With a large knife cut the dough square into 4 smaller, equal squares. Then cut each smaller square diagonally, with an X, making 4 smaller triangles.

Don't worry if the top is uneven, or even flaky, it will only hold more heavy cream and raw sugar . . . which yields an even more heavenly crust!

Transfer the 16 triangles onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle it with some sugar in the raw. This will create a shiny and crunchy top for the scones.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms of the scones are light brown. Remove from oven, cool slightly on the sheet pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

     

Serve warm with lemon curd or a berry preserve 

. . . and enjoy!

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