Perfect Berry Shortcakes

Name: Perfect Berry Shortcakes
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose bleached flour; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 5 tablespoons sugar, divided; 0.5 cup butter, frozen; 1 egg, beaten; 1 egg white; 0.5 cup cold half-and-half; 1 (16 ounce) package unsweetened frozen raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries, thawed and crushed; 12 ounces fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries (rinsed and patted dry), or strawberries (hulled and sliced); 7 tablespoons sugar, divided; 1 cup chilled heavy cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe by USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson from allrecipes.com

Dessert

Ingredients

6 servings

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2 cups all-purpose bleached flour
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0.5 teaspoon salt
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1 tablespoon baking powder
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5 tablespoons sugar, divided
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0.5 cup butter, frozen
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1 egg, beaten
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1 egg white

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0.5 cup cold half-and-half
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1 (16 ounce) package unsweetened frozen raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries, thawed and crushed
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12 ounces fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries (rinsed and patted dry), or strawberries (hulled and sliced)
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7 tablespoons sugar, divided
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1 cup chilled heavy cream
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and 3 Tbs. sugar in a medium bowl. Grate 2 Tbs. of the butter on the coarse holes of a box grater into dry ingredients; toss to coat. Repeat grating and tossing with remaining butter. Combine egg and half-and-half; pour into flour mixture. Toss with a fork to form large clumps. Lightly press clumps into a ball; add a teaspoon more half-and-half to the bowl if dough won't come together.
Turn dough onto work surface; press into an 8-by-4- to 5-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares, placing them 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before baking.) Before baking, brush tops with optional egg white for a particularly attractive sheen. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix thawed and fresh berries with sugar in a bowl; let stand until sugar dissolves. With a hand mixer, beat cream to soft peaks, gradually adding 1 Tb. sugar, then vanilla.
Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries over each cake bottom, then a dollop of whipped cream over berries. Cap with cake top and serve immediately.