Here’s a little something I made for our Fourth of July celebration last weekend. Aren’t they cute? They’re Gingery Blueberry Shortcake Sliders. I made silver dollar-sized cream biscuits and filled them with a fresh lime-scented blueberry compote, topped with little puddles of lovely whipped cream. I call them “gingery” because I added tiny bits of crystallized ginger to the biscuit dough. Who knew that tiny bits of crystallized ginger could make cream biscuits taste so divine? But they do! And, they were so perfect together with that blueberry compote that I think they should get married and stay together forever. I can’t help it. I’m a hopeless romantic.
Another great thing about these shortcake sliders is that they are a breeze to make. First, you have to make the biscuits. I used a recipe from Alice Waters’The Art of Simple Food. The dough is super easy to make and takes about five minutes to pull together. While the biscuits are baking, you can make the blueberry compote and whip up some cream. Then, all you have to do is assemble the sliders.
Here’s how I made the biscuit dough.
I used a pastry blender instead of the food processor to cut the butter into the dry ingredients, because Alice says to. Who am I to argue with Alice Waters?
Then, I rolled out my dough and used my smallest biscuit cutter to cut out the slider “buns”.
Here they are slathered with a little cream, waiting to go into the oven.
Aww! Aren’t they cute?
This blueberry compote was so good, I wanted to drink it right out of the cup! I only cooked the berries for a few minutes, so they still “popped” in your mouth. The recipe makes extra so you have enough to pour over some ice cream after the shortcake sliders are all gone.
This is just a gratuitous photo. I put it in because it’s my blog and I liked it.
These Gingery Blueberry Shortcake Sliders would be great on a buffet table or at a picnic or barbecue. They’re the perfect little one-bite treat!
Gingery Blueberry Shortcake Sliders
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
12 mini Cream Biscuits (recipe follows)
Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
Directions:
Make the compote: Combine blueberries, sugar and lime juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stirring frequently, cook for about 3 minutes, until sugar has dissolved and until blueberries begin to pop. Set aside to cool.
Split shortcakes in half horizontally. Spoon a tablespoon of the blueberry mixture over each bottom half. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream. Cover with the shortcake tops. Serve immediately.
Ginger Cream Biscuits
adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, finely minced
3/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips. The pieces should be the size of small peas. Add the ginger and mix well.
Measure cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the flour, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together. Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Cut at least twelve 1 1/2-inch rounds out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, if necessary. You will probably have enough for more than 12 biscuits. I ended up with 18.
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of cream.
Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar to taste
Directions:
In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream, vanilla and sugar until it forms medium peaks.
Makes at least 12 mini shortcakes.
Filed Under: Baking, Cakes and Cupcakes, Fruits, Muffins, Biscuits and Scones, Quick and Easy, Recipes
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On July 08, 2010 at 10:12pm, Kalynskitchen said...
Wow, they do look amazing.
On July 08, 2010 at 10:24pm, Tracey@Tangled Noodle said...
I made shortcake for the 4th as well (and will be posting soon - you can never have too much shortcake!). Adding crystalized ginger bits to the dough must have added a nice zip to the biscuits. Love these sweet sliders!
On July 08, 2010 at 10:56pm, ingrid said...
Mmmm, we’re serious berry lovers here and those are mouthwatering photos. I’ve never made shortcakes or biscuits. Looks like I have a reason to now.
~ingrid
On July 08, 2010 at 10:58pm, Joanne said...
They can certainly get married and stay together forever! As long as they hold the wedding reception in my belly. Because that’s where they’ll be whether they like it or not.
On July 09, 2010 at 2:23am, Rosa said...
Magnificent! Those are pure bliss!
Cheers,
Rosa
On July 09, 2010 at 3:17am, Paula said...
I like that! especially that top
On July 09, 2010 at 6:06am, bellini valli said...
I love the concept of sliders as dessert Susan:D
On July 09, 2010 at 6:44am, Jessica @ How Sweet It Is said...
These are too cute! Love the ginger in there, too.
On July 09, 2010 at 7:15am, Peter said...
If they are that small, then yes…I will have 3 of them! I would take these apart like an Oreo and savour each part.
On July 09, 2010 at 7:21am, The Blue-Eyed Bakers said...
These look AMAZING! Ginger in the biscuits?! Hello delicious. And blueberry with lime? Whipped cream!? Dear dear we may need to make these right this very moment…!
On July 09, 2010 at 9:50am, Rachel (S[d]OC) said...
How yummy looking. I’m glad someone else sees the wisdom that shortcake is made with BISCUITS!
I admire anyone who cuts butter with a pastry blender. I find that if the butter is properly cold, it’s too hard for the blender to go into it and then the blender wires just spread out and splay all over the place. If I’m using butter, I’m afraid I take the wimps way out and use the food processor.
On July 09, 2010 at 10:00am, SMITH BITES said...
I’m in absolute heaven, I’m in heaven . . . doing a little happy dance cuz I know I’ll be making these!!! And the candied ginger? Brilliant!
On July 09, 2010 at 10:13am, Livin Local said...
Oh, what little sweetie pies, or, um, sweetie … yeah let’s stick with sweetie pies just because they are so darned cute!
On July 09, 2010 at 10:23am, Eliana said...
Loving your dessert sliders idea. They look amazing Susan.
On July 09, 2010 at 11:03am, nina said...
Double yumee for these little sliders……Am I right in saying these are like scones!!!
On July 09, 2010 at 11:53am, Marie said...
I love the candied ginger addition! and your photos are stunning.
On July 09, 2010 at 2:19pm, The Food Hunter said...
These are so cute.
On July 09, 2010 at 3:51pm, steph (whisk/spoon) said...
they sure are cute! and blueberries and ginger is a delicious combo!
On July 09, 2010 at 5:15pm, Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) said...
Yummmy!! I have yet to try making biscuits!
On July 09, 2010 at 6:14pm, grace said...
ah, bleeding blueberries-is it sadistic if i love to see them?
best sliders ever, susan-forget burgers or bbq!
On July 09, 2010 at 6:33pm, Jennifer @ Maple n Cornbread said...
Oh these are most perfect!! from the size to the delightful blueberry bliss of a shortcake! yum!!!!!
On July 10, 2010 at 11:30am, ciaochowlinda said...
What a nice change from the typical strawberry shortcakes. Love the ginger addition. Can’t wait to try these myself. As always, mouth-watering photos too.
On July 10, 2010 at 4:53pm, Karen@Mignardise said...
Great photos! And I bet that crystallized ginger made all the difference. It’s one of my favorite ingredients. Yumm.
On July 10, 2010 at 8:03pm, Kathleen said...
These look super amazing!
On July 11, 2010 at 12:05am, Phyllis Kirigin said...
Susan,
These are adorable. I’m definitely going to make them. Great photos, too.
Phyllis, aka sweetpaprika.wordpress.com
On July 11, 2010 at 2:28am, Marc @ NoRecipes said...
Wow those blueberries are so shiny they look like gems. I love the ginger blueberry combo!
On July 11, 2010 at 5:04pm, brilynn said...
Those are supercute! I’m a big fan of adding crystallized ginger to anything.
On July 13, 2010 at 8:40pm, Shonagh said...
I have been dreaming up some of my own tiny bite recipes and this will be what I try next.
On July 14, 2010 at 1:56am, Linda said...
I used your cream biscuit recipe over the weekend on a nectarine cobbler as the topping. Delicious. Wonderful biscuits, next I think I will make your shortcakes.
On July 16, 2010 at 1:02pm, Jack said...
These look heavenly, seriously. Wow. Please check out http://tinyurl.com/26okadh when you want to review a restaurant.
On September 22, 2012 at 1:00pm, Heather said...
I made these for a fourth of July sliders competition and won! People loved them. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!