Buttery Shortcakes with Balsamic Blackberry & Blueberry Compote, Vanilla Ice Cream & Sweeten

Buttery Shortcakes with Balsamic Blackberry & Blueberry Compote, Vanilla Ice Cream & Sweetened Ricotta

Shortcakes:

1 cups of flour

¼ cup of sugar

½ tablespoon of baking powder

¼ teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

1 stick of butter, very cold

½ cup of buttermilk

¼ cup of heavy cream

1 egg + 2 tablespoons of water, beaten

Coarse sugar

Sweetened Ricotta:

1 quart of whole milk

3 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar

Pinch of kosher salt

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of honey

Balsamic Blackberry & Blueberry Compote:

1 pint of blackberries, divided

1 pint of blueberries, divided

¼ cup of balsamic vinegar

¼ cup of brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Shortcakes Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using the pastry cutter, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles crumbly meal (with pea-sized chunks of butter).

3. Using a large spoon, mix the buttermilk and heavy cream into the mixture until loose, sticky dough forms.

4. Gently roll the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and, using your hands, gently flatten to about a ¾-inch thick.Using a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can, gathering the scraps together and repeating.

5. Transfer the biscuits to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush each one with egg wash and sprinkle with some course sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Sweetened Ricotta:

1. In a medium pot, cook the milk over medium heat and warm until the milk gets foamy and starts to steam. If you have a thermometer, it should be heated to 200 degrees F.

2. Gently stir in the lemon juice and salt.Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

3. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and slowly pour the mixture into the strainer. Drain the curd for about 20-30 minutes, until you get a light fluffy ricotta. If the ricotta is too dry, add some of the whey back to the cheese.

4. Once you have the desired consistency, gently stir in the sugar and honey.The ricotta can be used right away or stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Balsamic Blackberry & Blueberry Instructions:

1. In a small pot, combine half of the blackberries and blueberries with the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until berries have softened.

2. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the fresh berries to the puree. Serve with shortcakes, sweetened ricotta, and ice cream. Enjoy!