Summer Berry Chutney Shortcake
[x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/4″ style=”padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 1px; “][x_text class=”center-text “]
by Kelsi Barr, Food Editor – Canada[/x_text][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”3/4″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]I must admit that my love of shortcake has increased with age. Previously, I had always found classic strawberry shortcake to be rather bland, often made with sub-par berries, store-bought biscuits and CoolWhip.
These biscuits are my ultimate go-to. Even if you aren’t making this dessert, this is the recipe that you MUST make the next time you want a quick and delicious biscuit alongside your breakfast. The key to a good biscuit is cold butter, a hefty dose of baking powder and buttermilk for a “POW!” of flavor (I have a few tricks below if you don’t want to go out and buy a carton of buttermilk for one batch of biscuits).
[bctt tweet=”The secret to a perfect biscuit? It’s these simple ingredients.”]
The chutney is my own rendition of this recipe. Instead of raisins and raspberry vinegar, I opt for dates and balsamic vinegar, removed the honey all together and chose to use half blueberries and half strawberries. Because we are in the heat of late summer when berries are flourishing, I chose to use fresh berries. I recommend stocking up on fresh berries now and freezing them for when the craving for this chutney strikes during winter! Note: If your berries aren’t overly ripe, feel free to add the honey or an extra tablespoon of brown sugar.
As for the topping, it couldn’t be easier: brown sugar, goat cheese (or cream cheese, if you’d prefer) and a touch of milk or cream of your choosing to thin it out. Alternatively, for breakfast, top with a creamy plain (or vanilla, not overly sweetened) Greek yogurt!
This shortcake will remove all prejudgements about the classic dessert and promise a new standard. Made with a buttermilk biscuit, topped with a strawberry-blueberry-balsamic chutney and drizzled with a brown sugar-goat cheese topping that complements and contrasts with a sweet tang. For this dessert to come together in no time, make the chutney up to a few days in advance. Although the biscuits will last a few days, I recommend making them the day you plan to serve them – what’s better then a biscuit fresh from the oven?
[bctt tweet=”A delicious dessert to help you hold on to summer: A Summer Berry Chutney Shortcake.”]
- [b]Biscuits (makes approximately 10 biscuits):[/b]
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (can sub 1 cup light spelt flour for a whole grain option)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sea salt (can sub regular sea or kosher salt)
- 1/3 cup COLD unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- Scant 1 cup buttermilk (alternatively: 1 tbsp plain yogurt placed in 1 cup measuring cup, topped up with regular milk OR 1 tbsp white vinegar placed in 1 cup measuring cup, topped up with regular milk)
- [b]Berry Chutney (makes approximately 1 cup):[/b]
- ¼ cup pitted dates, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup loose-packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, roughly chopped
- [b]Goat Cheese Drizzle (makes enough for approximately 4 servings):[/b]
- 4 tablespoons goat cheese (can sub cream cheese)
- 2 tablespoons milk (or heavy cream for a fluffier consistency)
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (less for a more tangy topping)
- [b]For the biscuits:[/b] [br]Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Measure out dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in cold butter with fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs and there are no butter chunks bigger than a pea. Gently mix in ½ cup buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon more as needed until the mixture comes together and is only slightly tacky – DO NOT KNEAD. On a floured surface, gently roll out the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle and fold in half. Gently roll and fold again 2-3 more times. Finally, roll the dough to ¾ inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass cup dusted with flour. Place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 10-13 minutes until fluffy and golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, serve warm.
- [b]For the chutney:[/b] In a small saucepan, combine the first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Add berries and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool in a bowl in the refrigerator. Will last up to a couple weeks in the refrigerator, can be frozen up to a couple of months.
- [b]For the drizzle:[/b] Whisk goat cheese and brown sugar until smooth and creamy, add a little bit of milk or cream at a time until you have reached your desired consistency.
- To serve: Warm biscuits in a low heat oven until gently warmed, top with cold chutney and drizzle. Enjoy!
[/x_column][/x_row][/x_section]
