Shortcake For Berry Desserts

Ingredients for the shortcake:
2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
3 T sugar
dash salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into 8 pieces
3/4 cup whipping cream, plus more for brushing tops
demarara sugar

Optional: 1 T grated orange zest

Preparing the shortcake:
Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt (and orange zest if using) into medium mixing bowl. eRubbing between fingers, or cutting with crossed knives or pastry cutter, work butter into dry ingredients until mixture forms consistency of cornmeal, with few larger lumps of butter left intact. Add half of cream and stir into dry ingredients with fork. Add remainder of cream, bit by bit, until mass forms that pulls cleanly away from bottom and sides of bowl. You may not use all of cream.

On lightly floured work space, quickly and lightly knead dough until smooth and cohesive. Gently roll out 1/2-inch thick. Cut out biscuits with 3-inch biscuit cutter, or lightly floured juice glass. Gather leftover dough together, knead again briefly and roll out again. Cut remaining biscuits.

Place biscuits on unbuttered baking sheet, brush with cream and sprinkle demarara sugar over top. Bake at 400 degrees F until light-brown and slightly crusty, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before splitting and serving.

Makes 10 biscuits.