My friend Robert, of erstwhile oatmeal cookie fame, made these delicious cornmeal shortcakes a few months ago and was kind enough to share his recipe. He started with a cornmeal biscuit recipe and tweaked it to make it a shortcake recipe.





The shortcakes have enough cornmeal to make them interesting they're not overly cornmeal-y or tough. They make a great shortcake biscuit because they're flaky and light but not too delicate to stand up to the berries. Robert served them with blackberries, which I think is the best combination, but when I made them this past weekend, blackberries were $7 for a teeny tiny container so I went for a mixture of raspberries, golden raspberries, and strawberries.

Robert's Cornmeal Buttermilk Shortcakes with Berries and Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups white flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar (+ more granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of biscuits)
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 teaspoon-sized pieces, and frozen
• 1/2 cup buttermilk beaten with 1 large egg

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425* F.
• Place all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Blend. Add the butter and process for a few seconds (8 to 10 is all it takes) until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Quickly add the buttermilk and egg and process for about 4 seconds, just until dough forms.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 5 times.
• Roll out to a ¾-inch thickness, keeping the shape as square as possible (about 7 inches square) for attractive, uniform biscuits.
• Cut into 9 -12 pieces (depending how large you want them.) Sprinkle with granulated sugar, place on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes, until brown on top and bottom.  

Blackberries:
Take three baskets of blackberries and mix with ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. 

Whipped Cream:
Chill mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before making the whipped cream.  Whip heavy cream, 2 to 3 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract until soft peaks form.

To serve:
Slice the biscuits in half, cover with sweetened blackberries and the freshly whipped cream.