Shortcake Topping

3 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Grated Lemon Zest

1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup of Cake Flour

2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

¼ Teaspoon of Baking Soda

¼ Teaspoon of Kosher Salt

6 Tablespoons of Cold, Unsalted Butter (cut into 1/2” cubes)

1/3 Cup of Ricotta Cheese

1/3 Cup of Heavy Cream

1 Large Egg - Beaten

3-4 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar for sprinkling

Place the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and rub them together between your fingers for about 20 seconds. This will bring out the flavor of the lemon.

Sift the flours into the bowl. Add the baking powder and salt and whisk everything together.

Add the butter cubes and toss them in the flour to coat.

Using your fingers squeeze the cubes of butter into the flour.  Continue until you have a coarse mixture.

Whisk together the ricotta and cream. Add to the bowl and mix together using a rubber spatula until the dough just holds together. If the dough seems a bit dry you can add additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat out and fold once or twice.

Pat the dough out to a thickness of ½”.

Wrap in Plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Fruit Mixture

4 Cups of Strawberries

2 Cups of Blueberries

½ Cups of Sugar

2 ½ Tablespoons of Corn Starch

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract

A 2 Quart Baking Dish that is about 2” deep

Preheat your oven to 400° F.

In a small bowl whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.

Add the berries to a large bowl.  Sprinkle with the sugar/cornstarch mixture and gently toss together until everything is combined.

Add the vanilla and mix.

Assembly:

Using a small amount of butter grease a baking dish.

Add the fruit mixture and spread out in an even layer.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator.

Using a 2” round cutter or a 2” star cookie cutter cut out 12 biscuits.

Place the biscuits on top of the fruit.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400° for 15 Minutes – Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake for an additional 30 minutes.  The biscuits should be golden brown and the filling should be bubbling.

Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 30 minutes to give the juices a chance to thicken.

Spoon onto individual plates and top with whipped cream or ice cream.