Cherry Shortcake with Lemon Balm Syrup

by Peter on Jul.05, 2009, under Baking, Desserts & Sweets, fruit

Cherries1731

I don’t know that I have ever met anyone who doesn’t like Strawberry Shortcake. There just seems to be something about the combination of buttery, sweet biscuit, fresh strawberries and rich whipped cream that appeals to everyone. I am no exception. As far as I am concerned, a well made Strawberry Shortcake, made with fresh from the field strawberries, says summer like nothing else. That said, I do like to experiment with the general recipe. Sometimes I will tinker with the shortcake (aka the biscuit), sometimes I will add different flavorings to the whipped cream, most notably adding a drop of almond extract in place of the vanilla extract, but mostly I play around with the fruit component. It is by far the easiest to fiddle around with, and has the most possibilities. From substituting another berry for the strawberries to adding grilled plums to the mix, I’ve experimented with countless variations.

This being 4th of July weekend I decided to do a Cherry Shortcake in honor of the day. I’m not sure why, but cherries seem to be associated closely with this holiday. Maybe its because of the legend of George Washington and the Cherry tree. I don’t know, but it sounds good anyway. I’ve added another flavor element in the use of lemon balm. It is used in the syrup I use to sweeten the cherries and as a garnish for the dish also. There is no particular reason that I chose Lemon Balm other than the fact that I like its taste and because I have a ton of it about to go to flower and I need to use some of it up. I think it adds a nice, subtle flavor to the overall dish.

Lemon Balm Syrup
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Sugar, granulated
1/2 cup Lemon Balm, leaves only

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add the lemon balm leaves and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain, pressing on the leaves to extract as much liquid as possible. Chill.

1 pound Fresh Cherries, pitted (for more color use a variety of cherries such as Bing and Ranier)

Cut the cherries in half, after pitting them and add them to the Lemon Balm Syrup. Toss to coat and allow to sit, in the fridge, for at least 2 hours.

Shortcake

2 cups All-purpose Flour
1/4 cup Sugar, granulated
1 pinch Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 each Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Half and Half
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
6 Tbsp. Butter, chilled and diced

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In another bowl combine the egg, half and half, and vanilla. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in using a pastry blender or 2 knives. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs when done. Add the wet ingredients stirring only to bring the dough together. Don’t over mix the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead 4 to 5 times. Pat into a cirlce about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter 3 inches in diameter, cut out 6 rounds. Place on a sheet tray that has either been greased or lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with an egg wash made of 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. of either water or half and half. Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar then bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool.

Assembly
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp. Sugar, granulated
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 each Lemon Balm leaves, chiffonnade (a fine julienne)

Split shortcakes and place the bottom half in each of 6 bowls. Spread a dollop of whipped cream over the shortcake half. Divide the cherries and syrup among the 6 bowls. Top with top half of shortcake. Place a large dollop of whipped cream on top and garnish with a sprinkling of the lemon balm.

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