Blueberry season is over here in North Carolina, and I just had to do a proper send off. In July, we went blueberry picking three weekends in a row at a beautiful blueberry farm. The long field was filled with countless tall bushes, full of thickets and wild blackberries nestled among the blueberries. We picked three huge gallons each time! We froze the last batch so we can enjoy fresh, local blueberries for awhile longer.
Important ingredients in shortcake biscuits—
Aside from the usual suspects (flour, leavening agents, salt, butter), there are some additional ingredients needed for these blueberry shortcake biscuits.
— Blueberries are added to the biscuit dough in layers to avoid the blueberries bursting. A cup is used for the biscuit dough, and an additional 1/4 cup is used in the optional glaze or icing. Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used. Fresh blueberries are more likely to lose their shape during the process of rolling out the biscuit dough.
— Kefir was used instead of buttermilk here. Whole milk buttermilk has been hard to find here lately, so I turned to whole milk kefir for a similar tart taste. Kefir is a fermented, cultured milk drink. Baking kills the probiotics in the kefir, but it’s is a good substitute for buttermilk because it has a similar thickness and tanginess.
— Powdered sugar is whisked together with the dry ingredients and sweetens the biscuits. The cornstarch in the powdered sugar helps to lighten and tenderize the texture.
— Lavender pairs wonderfully with blueberry–they are kindred spirits. They are both summer flavors, and the floral taste of lavender complements fresh blueberries that can be both sweet and sour. While picking blueberries, I discovered that some sun warmed blueberries had a sweet, floral flavor.
There are two glaze options for these shortcake biscuits, and they’re totally optional. If you prefer a naked biscuit, melt two tablespoons of unsalted butter and brush over the tops of the biscuits as soon as they’re taken out of the oven.
Each glaze uses homemade blueberry juice made from heating blueberries, mashing them, and straining the juice from the solids. One glaze, which is resembles icing, combines the blueberry juice with pure coconut butter. The coconut butter tastes naturally sweet, and the blueberry juice turns it bright purple.
The second glaze option is simply blueberry juice, melted butter, and honey. This makes a runny glaze that can be spooned over the biscuits. Both are delicious additions to the biscuits, but the biscuits are just as delicious on their own.
The layering method for shortcake biscuits
A particular layering method is used to make these biscuits flaky and tender, while also distributing the blueberries evenly throughout the dough. This method also does not require re-rolling, which would squish the blueberries beyond recognition.
— Gently pat and roll the hydrated biscuit dough into a 1″ square. Cut the square in to four equal sections. Press a third of the blueberries on the first section, pressing down gently to adhere them to the dough. Stack the second section on top of the first section, and press another 1/3 cup of blueberries on to the top of the dough. Repeat again with the third section. Stack the final section on top.
— Gently roll the layered dough into a 1″ square again. Trim off any uneven edges, but don’t throw the scraps away–gather them together and bake the scraps with the rest of the biscuits! Once the dough is evened out, it should make an approximate 7″ x 7″ square.
— Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut small the dough into small squares. Each biscuit will be about 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″.
BLUEBERRY & LAVENDER SHORTCAKE BISCUITS
Makes 15-16 small biscuits
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BISCUITS
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons culinary grade, dried lavender buds
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) kefir or buttermilk
- 1 cup (140 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
FOR THE TWO OPTIONAL BLUEBERRY GLAZES
COCONUT BUTTER BLUEBERRY ICING
- 1/4 cup (35 g) blueberries
- 2 tablespoons coconut butter
OR
BLUEBERRY HONEY GLAZE
- 1/4 cup (35 g) blueberries
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Chop the butter into small cubes–place in the freezer until ready for use. Stir together the kefir and vanilla into a measuring cup and place in the freezer. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and powdered sugar together. Crush and rub the lavender buds between your fingers, then stir them into the flour.
With a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until it’s pea sized. Drizzle in the kefir and vanilla and toss with a fork until a shaggy dough is created. If the dough seems too dry, resting the dough in the refrigerator for a few minutes will help hydrate the flour. If there are still large dry areas of flour, add a tablespoon of kefir at a time. Do not add too much liquid, otherwise the dough will be tough.
Gently bring the dough together into a cohesive square. Rest the dough in the fridge for five minutes. On a floured surface, pat and roll the dough into a square that’s approximately 1″ thick. Cut the square into four equal sections. Sprinkle a third of the blueberries on the first section, pressing down lightly; stack a second section on top of the first and add another third of the blueberries. Repeat with the third section, then add the last piece to the top. Gently roll the layered dough back in to a 1″ square. Trim off any uneven edges (keep those to bake). The square should measure approximately 7″ x 7″.
Cut square biscuits in a 4 x 4 grid–they will be around 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Freeze for 15 minutes. While the biscuits are resting, preheat the oven to 425 F.
Once the oven is preheated, bake the biscuits for 16 minutes until golden brown. While the biscuits are cooling, make the glaze. Heat the blueberries with a dash of water in a microwave for 30-45 seconds or until they are soft. Smush the blueberries into a paste, then strain the solids with a mesh sieve.
For the coconut butter icing, simply mix softened coconut butter icing with the blueberry juice. Dollop the icing on the cooled biscuits and spread with a spoon or offset spatula.
For the honey glaze, melt the unsalted butter and mix with the honey and blueberry juice. Spoon it over the cooled biscuits.
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