Cream Cheese Biscuits

Makes 1 dozen biscuits

Recipe from Cook’s Country

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

My lovely daughter-in-law, who is expecting our second grandchild, was craving biscuits, so we hauled out the flour, cream cheese and buttermilk.  She made these in just a few minutes.  They were oh so heavenly.  Serve these with butter and homemade jam or local honey for a real treat.  All the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups cake flour*** (See note if you don't have any in your pantry.)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

4 oz. cream cheese (cut into ½ inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes)

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into ½ inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes)

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cold buttermilk

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 450°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Put everything except for the buttermilk into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Pour in the buttermilk.

Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.  (The dough may appear slightly dry.)

Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Knead briefly just until it comes together.

Roll the dough into an 8-inch by 6-inch rectangle, about ¾ inch thick.

Cut into twelve 2-inch squares or desired shapes and put on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 450°F 12 to 15 minutes or until they have puffed and are golden brown.

***Note:  Here's how to make your own cake flour with what you probably have on hand in your pantry:  http://joythebaker.com/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/ 

Raspberry/Blackberry Shortcake, Mascarpone Cream with Raspberry Framboise Sauce

Serves 6 (with some shortcake leftover for another dessert)

This is a very easy dessert to make, but it looks so elegant and tastes just dandy!  All the components can (and should) be made ahead so that you can enjoy your guests because this is definitely a summer party treat.  When it's dessert time, just assemble all the components on pretty plates and voila!  Other Husband-Tested Recipes using blackberries are:Blackberry Vodka Gimlets; Blackberry Sorbet; Blackberry Cornbread Tartlets with Ricotta Cream; Plum Blackberry Streusel Pie; Meringue Chantilly & Pastry Cream with Cognac


Sauce Ingredients: (Makes 2 cups...more than you'll need for this dessert.)
3 pints fresh raspberries or blackberries (divided)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons Framboise (raspberry brandy) (optional)
Shortcake  Make the cake as directed and then once it has cooled, cut the cake into rounds using a biscuit cutter.
Mascarpone Cream Make the cream as directed and store in the fridge until ready to use.

To make the sauce:
Place all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Crush the berries.  (I used an old fashioned potato masher.)  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and then simmer until

To assemble, place a shortcake round on a pretty plate.  Top with a generous dollop of mascarpone cream.  Place berries on top and then drizzle 2 Tablespoons of sauce on the plate around the cake.

Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Recipe from Epicurious | August 2006

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen


Well, this was a doozy of a dessert!!  I prepared this in the food processor, which made it a cinch to make.  I served this with sweetened, crushed strawberries from our friends’ garden along with vanilla ice cream.  If you prefer a moist cake over a biscuit-like shortcake, try the Husband-Tested Recipe for Strawberry Shortcake.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (I used special baking sparkly sugar for sprinkling.)

2 tablespoons baking powder

Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) kosher salt

1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into chunks

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1/2 cup cream, plus more for brushing

Finely grated zest from one lemon

If you have a food processor, follow these directions.  Place all the dry ingredients (flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) into the food processor bowl.  Put the lid in place and pulse a few times to combine the ingredients.  Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and add to the food processor along with the lemon zest.  Pulse until the butter-flour mixture resembles coarse meal.  With the food processor running, add the cream and buttermilk.  Process just until dough forms.


(If you don’t have a food processor, follow these directions. In large bowl, sift together all-purpose and cake flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use pastry cutter or fork to blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.  In medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk and cream, then whisk in lemon zest. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture, stirring with fork just until dough forms.)

Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead gently just until dough holds together, about 10 turns. Place dough on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

On floured work surface, pat out dough to 1/2-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch cutter, cut out biscuits. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet, brush lightly with cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, and then transfer to rack to cool.


Cut biscuits in half horizontally.  Spoon sweetened, crushed strawberries with juices over the biscuits.  Add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, sweetened plain yogurt or vanilla ice cream and serve.

Strawberry Shortcake

Recipe from Bon Appétit  | May 2008

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Our friends, Janet and Nathan, invited us to a strawberry party where we feasted on the last of the strawberries from their garden.  First, we had strawberry daiquiris, then a delicious salad of their spring lettuces and strawberries with a strawberry vinaigrette.  Afterwards, we enjoyed their strawberries over two shortcakes that I made.  I made two different types of shortcake for us to taste test.  It turns out that both types were great, but it was like comparing apples to oranges because they were totally different in texture and flavor.  This recipe made a fabulously moist, rich cake that would taste wonderful all by itself.  We all agreed that this cake would be best with fruits (peaches and plums come to mind) and berries (blueberries!) that don’t create a lot of juice since the juice of the crushed strawberries turned the cake into a kind of mush (delicious mush though.)  I will definitely make this cake again when the other summer fruits are bountiful!  The other shortcake (Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits) was more biscuit-like and tasted best with the crushed strawberry juice soaked in.  

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9-inch diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pan with sugar; tap out any excess sugar. Whisk flour and baking powder in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, cream cheese, and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl to blend. Beat milk mixture into cream cheese mixture. Add dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over top of batter.

Bake cake until golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Notes: 

•   Serve plain or with fresh berries or fruit along with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, sweetened mascarpone cheese or sweetened Greek yogurt. 

•   This cake can be doubled easily. 

•   Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.