By David Tanis
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- 4(165)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Berry season is the time for shortcakes, a classic dessert with berries, whipped cream and freshly baked sconelike biscuits. Here, a bit of sweet-tart lemon curd, prepared up to a week in advance and perfect with blackberries, makes these particularly special. Serve these assembled, on individual dessert plates, or, if you prefer, set out all the elements for guests to build their own.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- Ice
- 2large eggs
- 2large egg yolks
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½cup/120 milliliters lemon juice
- ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
- 6tablespoons/80 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2cups/250 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1tablespoon baking powder
- 1tablespoon granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- ½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 4tablespoons/60 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ¾cup/175 milliliters cold buttermilk
- 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream, chilled
- 2 to 3tablespoons granulated sugar, to taste
- A splash of vanilla extract (optional)
- 1pint blackberries
For the Lemon Curd
For the Biscuits
For Assembly
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the lemon curd: Prepare an ice bath. In a mixing bowl, whisk together whole eggs and egg yolks. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar, and stir to dissolve.
Step
2
Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (or use a double boiler). Whisk mixture until hot to the touch. Add the butter and continue whisking until mixture is the consistency of pudding. Remove bowl from heat and set in the ice bath to cool, stirring occasionally. (Makes about 2 cups. Lemon curd will keep refrigerated in a covered container for 1 week.)
Step
3
See AlsoApple Butter Brioche Cinnamon Rolls | Irresistible Fall Baking Recipe — Under A Tin RoofLearn to Make Buttery Brioche Dough: An All Purpose Recipe | FoodalWarm Up Those Chilly Fall Mornings With Our Homemade Pumpkin Roll RecipeIntroducing our 2022 Recipe of the Year: Ultimate Sandwich BagelsPrepare the biscuits: Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter and, using your fingers, work it into the flour mixture. Add buttermilk and stir until mixture forms a soft dough.
Step
4
Flour a work surface and knead dough lightly. Roll out or pat dough into a rectangle about ¾-inch thick. Punch out circular shapes with a floured drinking glass or biscuit cutter.
Step
5
Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle each with a pinch of sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool completely.
Step
6
Assemble the shortcakes: Put cold cream in a medium chilled bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Whip cream, just until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract, if desired.
Step
7
Place berries in a bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar. Toss, mashing a few, and let macerate for at least 10 minutes (or up to an hour).
Step
8
Slice biscuits horizontally and place on dessert plates. Put a spoonful of whipped cream on each biscuit bottom, then some lemon curd and berries, and finish with a generous spoonful of whipped cream. Replace the biscuit tops and serve.
Ratings
4
out of 5
165
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Harry Wood (SAG-E)
Shortcakes? I dunno, I'm more of a Tallcake person myself—can't get enough of the stuff, ask anybody! So, how's everybody's Thursday?
John Golden
Without putting the biscuits very close, touching or nearly, they WONT rise as high. Use an 8-inch castiron pan
Jane
Also, as I am lazy, I just cut the biscuit dough into squarish pieces, separate them a little and bake. No need for circles.
Pam
I can see a strawberry and mango curd shortcake or whatever floats your boat!!!
Bibi
Yes, but that takes the fun and fluff out of them. Fresh, in this instance, in my view, is best. The old standby pound cake, which in my mother's generation every homemaker had in their freezer, she said, for unexpected company (thaws quickly), could also work.
Erika
Wonderful biscuit recipe and very easy to make! Before baking, I brushed the tops with heavy cream and sprinkled with Sugar in the Raw. I didn’t use the lemon curd recipe here only because I am super fan of Molly O’Neill’s Lemon Curd (also published by the NYT), although comparing the two they are quite similar. Having made Molly’s version dozens of times without issue, I am hesitant to veer away.
Jane
I make avgolemono in the microwave. Adding butter after it thickens turns it into hollandaise. I think we could do the same with this recipe for curd. When I'm making it with one egg (just for the two of us), I cook for 20 seconds and then use a fork to whip it smooth. Then, another 20 seconds and whip. Then one more, maybe 15 seconds.
Antony
Unnecessarily complicated. Mix 3.5 cups of self-raising flour with a cup of cream and a cup of lemonade (or soda), mix, cut, hot overn (220 C) for 10 minutes and you're done. And I like them still slightly warm - delish.
Viola
Skip the shortcake. Get some Bisquick and Google their easy shortcake recipe. Who keeps buttermilk around?
NancyE
Add an extra T of sugar to the biscuit dough.
NancyE
I had no buttermilk on hand, so I used plain yogurt and a little water. Worked great.
June
ok well this looks BAZOOKA yummy
Betsy
These are wonderful. I'd never made lemon curd before and it was much easier than I'd anticipated. And DELICIOUS! I'm going to make these for my kids and grandkids when we see them for Labor Day.
Viola
Skip the shortcake. Get some Bisquick and Google their easy shortcake recipe. Who keeps buttermilk around?
ML
The addition of lemon curd in a shortcake was SO good. I used my standby lemon curd recipe (which is nearly identical, but easier since you add the butter into the cold pot after everything else has been mixed together), and my regular biscuit recipe. Used Meyer lemons from a friend’s exuberant tree and blackberries from the wild bramble in my front yard. So good.
ann
Have to admit, I used store-bought jar of lemon curd. Don’t throw lemons at me. This is a delicious, easy, impressive recipe! Yum! Liked the comment about brushing top of biscuits with cream and sprinkling with sugar-in-the-raw before baking. Otherwise biscuits come out looking so pale. Would make again!
webgeekstress
This was very tasty and went over well. I'm concerned about my shortcakes, though: is that *really* meant to be 450 degrees? Even at just 12 minutes, they came out dark brown (just shy of burnt), and they didn't seem to rise at all.
CC in DC
I find the biscuits a little salty and so will reduce that next time. Otherwise, very happy with this delicious recipe!!
John Guzman
John Golden’s tip to use an 8” cast iron pan was golden!
Jodie H
The lemon curd was delicious! The shortcakes were yummy but a bit dry. Great flavor, but I think I should have reheated then just before serving. I wonder if I kneaded them for too long.
Namesullycyn
I made this a few days ago. The lemon curd was outstanding, and the berries yummy. The shortcake needs some help. They just didn’t rise well. I’ll have to experiment with that portion of the recipe. I think blueberries would work well too.
Harvey Green
Why use fingers to combine butter with dry ingredients? Why not pulse it all in afood processor, say, 5-6 pulses of about 1 second or so?
Richard
Why not? Not everyone has a food processor.
Antony
Unnecessarily complicated. Mix 3.5 cups of self-raising flour with a cup of cream and a cup of lemonade (or soda), mix, cut, hot overn (220 C) for 10 minutes and you're done. And I like them still slightly warm - delish.
Erika
Wonderful biscuit recipe and very easy to make! Before baking, I brushed the tops with heavy cream and sprinkled with Sugar in the Raw. I didn’t use the lemon curd recipe here only because I am super fan of Molly O’Neill’s Lemon Curd (also published by the NYT), although comparing the two they are quite similar. Having made Molly’s version dozens of times without issue, I am hesitant to veer away.
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