Blackberry Shortcake

Directions

Put the blackberries into a large bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and toss to coat all the berries with sugar. Use a potato masher to gently mash about half of the berries, releasing their juices. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Let sit for 20 minutes to an hour to macerate, allowing the sugar to help release more of the juices from the blackberries. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder salt.

In a large bowl vigorously whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and use your fingers to break up the butter and mix with the flour until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cream and vanilla. Use a fork to mix the flour and the cream until the dough just comes together. It should have a rather shaggy appearance. Empty on to a clean surface and knead a few times to form a loose ball.

Place ball on a small tray or baking sheet and form into an 8-inch by 8-inch square. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Once the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove it from the refrigerator and cut it into 9 even squares. Arrange them on a baking sheet with an inch or two between each square.

Bake at 425 degrees F until the biscuits are nicely browned, about 18 minutes.

While the biscuits are baking place the heavy whipping cream into a large chilled bowl Sprinkle with powdered sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to beat until you have peaks that somewhat hold their shape. Chill until ready to serve.

When the biscuits are ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. To serve, place one in a bowl or dessert plate, pull it apart in half. Place a large scoop of berries and the juices from the berries over the bottom half. Top with the other half of the biscuit and a generous dollop of whipped cream. .