Star Shaped Shortcakes Recipes

STAR-SHAPED SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat), and set aside. Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together flour, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Add butter and zest, and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 2 minutes. Combine 1 cup cream with the milk, and add to the mixer bowl. Mix until the dough comes together. Remove dough to a lightly floured surface, and shape into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a 3-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out 12 stars from the dough. Place stars on prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with heavy cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until the shortcakes are barely brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer shortcakes to a rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine berries; sprinkle berries with orange juice and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat the remaining 2 cups cream with the confectioners' sugar using a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Using a serrated knife, split the cakes in half horizontally. Place each bottom half on a plate, and cover with a dollop of whipped cream; top with berries and another dollop of whipped cream. Cover with top shortcake halves, and serve.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Spread in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. , Cut into nine servings. Split each serving horizontally and fill with whipped cream and strawberries. Replace top of cake; garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and more berries. Serve immediately.

STAR-SPANGLED SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter; use a pastry cutter or two knives to incorporate butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Blend 2 cups heavy cream into flour mixture using a fork. Turn out onto a clean work surface; press away from you with the heel of your hand just to combine dough. Add 1 tablespoon cream if the dough is too dry to combine.
• Prepare egg wash: Place egg and 2 tablespoons cream in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Press dough into a 7-by-10-inch rectangle, 1 inch thick. Use a 3 1/2-inch star cutter to cut out six biscuits. Press three of the stars to flatten slightly. Form into a ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet, alternating flattened stars with unflattened stars, using egg wash to join them along common edge. Gather remaining dough; cut out four more stars for additional servings, if desired. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove dough from refrigerator. Brush top of star ring and individual stars with egg wash, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees; continue baking until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Combine raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, red currants (if using), and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Allow berries to macerate for at least 30 minutes, until very juicy. Whip remaining 1 1/2 cups cream to soft peaks.
• Use a serrated knife to cut star ring in half crosswise. Cut the four extra stars as well. Use two large offset spatulas to carefully lift the top half of the ring, and set aside, leaving the spatulas in place. Set aside tops of stars as well. Transfer bottom of ring to a serving platter. Transfer bottoms of stars to plates, if desired. Spoon macerated berries, juices, and whipped cream over star ring and additional stars. Place the tops on the star ring and stars using the spatulas, and dust with confectioners' sugar, if using. Serve immediately.

BERRY SHORTCAKE STARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in 1 1/2 cups milk just until blended.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Gently smooth into a ball. Knead 20 to 25 times. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 10 stars with floured 3-inch star-shaped cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Make pudding mix as directed on package for pudding, using 4 cups milk. Split warm shortcakes. Fill and top shortcakes with pudding, raspberries and blueberries.

WALK OF FAME CHOCOLATE STAR SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Sift flour, 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl. Mix in chocolate chips. Mix in just enough chilled cream to form dough that will be firm enough to roll out. Turn out dough onto well-floured work surface. Using well-floured hands, pat out dough to 3/4-inch-thick rectangle, frequently sliding long knife under dough to prevent sticking. With floured 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out stars. Gather dough scraps; pat out to 3/4-inch-thick rectangle and cut out additional stars (for total of about 24).
• Brush stars with butter, sprinkle with additional sugar. Arrange shortcake stars sugared side down on 2 heavy large baking sheets. Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until shortcakes feel firm and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 22 minutes. Transfer shortcakes to racks and cool (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, let stand at room temperature.)
• Place scoop of ice cream in each of 8 bowls. Garnish with sauce, berries, whipped cream, 1 or 2 stars and mint, if desired. Serve immediately.

HEART-SHAPED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Sift the self-rising flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the cold butter pieces, and chop the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and whipped cream together, and pour into the bowl containing the flour mixture; add milk and vanilla extract. Stir to make a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Spread the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes; allow the cake to cool completely. With a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 16 hearts from the cake. It helps to wiggle the cutter slightly while cutting. Remove cut-outs carefully to avoid breaking.
• Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl; place a shortcake heart on a plate, and top with sweetened strawberries, then spoon about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream on the berries. Top with another heart-shaped shortcake and serve.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE SHORTCAKE STARS

Steps:

• Mix strawberries and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Let stand 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Mix Bisquick mix, milk, cherries, 6 tablespoons sugar and the butter until soft dough forms.
• Gently smooth dough into ball on surface sprinkled lightly with Bisquick mix. Knead 10 times. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 3-inch star-shaped or round cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
• Stir blueberries into strawberries. Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Split shortcakes in half. Fill and top with berries and whipped cream.

WARM PEAR SHORTCAKES WITH BRANDIED CREAM

Steps:

• Make biscuits:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift both flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into large bowl. Add butter. Rub in with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir to blend. Gather dough into ball.
• Gently knead dough on floured surface until dough holds together. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Using 3-inch-diameter star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out biscuits. Gather dough scraps, reroll and cut out additional biscuits, making total of 24. Arrange biscuits on 2 baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
• Brush tops of biscuits with egg. Bake until biscuits puff and are light golden, about 12 minutes. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in foil. Reheat foil-wrapped biscuits in 350°F. oven about 10 minutes before using.)
• Make pears:
• Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pear mixture and sauté until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Remove pear mixture from heat. Add whipping cream and brown sugar, then pear brandy. Bring mixture to boil. Cook until pears are tender and sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Divide pear mixture among 12 bowls. Top with warm biscuits and serve.