Blueberry Shortcake {Vegan}
There are two schools of thought when it comes to shortcake: there are the biscuit folks and then there are the cake folks.
Neither is wrong. It’s just what you prefer.
Shortcake made on a biscuit tends to be a bit heavier in texture, and less sweet. The idea is to use a basic biscuit dough recipe, but add a little sugar to make it a bit sweet, and less savoury.
The cake people have lots of options: I’ve seen shortcake made from regular vanilla cake, angel food cake, and even pound cake.
Either way, to make a shortcake, you place your base (biscuit or cake) on a plate, and top it with macerated berries and whipped cream, and serve! It’s sometimes better if you have time to let it sit for a while and allow the berry juices to sink in and absorb into the base layer.
The thing about me, though–and you probably know this by now–is that I love the pairing of sweet and savoury. So in this particular instance, I have added a savoury element to the biscuits–namely the herb thyme. Thyme is a great addition here, because it’s not too strong, and goes well with the blueberry.
Same with the blueberries. I never make any kind of shortcake without adding a little balsamic vinegar to the berries. The balsamic has a little sweetness, a little acidity–that takes the berries to the next level.
Blueberry Shortcake {Vegan}
Ingredients
For the biscuits
- 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup non dairy milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp chopped fresh thyme optional
- course granulated sugar & additional non dairy milk
For the blueberry filling
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1/4 water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Coconut whip
Instructions
- Place the non dairy milk in a small bowl, and add the lemon juice to it. Allow to sit while you complete the next step.
- Measure out all of your dry ingredients and the thyme into a large bowl, and mix to combine. Drop the vegan butter in and using your hands or a pastry blender (I actually use my potato masher, it works great), mush the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the milk to the dry ingredients, and carefully begin to mix everything together. If the mix is a bit dry, you may need to add a little extra milk, 1 tbsp at a time. You don't want to overwork your dough, so mix it just until it comes together.
- On a floured board, roll your dough out so it's about 3/4" thick. Cut out circles using a glass or a cookie cutter, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush a little vegan milk on the top of each biscuit and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden on the edges.
- Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- While the biscuits are baking, make the blueberry compote.
- In a smallish saucepan, place all the ingredients over medium heat, and gently bring to a boil. Allow to cook down for 5-10 minutes, until the consistency is jammy. I like to mash mine up with a potato masher, or you can puree it in your blender if you like a smoother consistency. Remove from the pan into a heat-proof bowl and place in the refrigerator to set. The consistency will thicken as it cools.
- To assemble the blueberry shortcakes:
- Take a biscuit and split it in half lengthwise. Lay the bottom half on the plate, and top with a generous dollop of the blueberries. Top that with a spoonful of coconut whip. Top with the top of the biscuit to complete.