Mixed Berry Shortcake Stars

Planning a 4th of July party? No need to fuss over a complicated dessert. Make a platter of Mixed Berry Shortcake Stars and enjoy the festivities.

I love making shortcake since it has a short ingredient list…things I typically have on hand, too! This Mixed Berry Shortcake recipe is sturdy enough for kids to eat it like a cookie and soft enough to soak in berry juice. Shortcake recipes traditionally skip the sugar. Feel free to pile on the whipped cream or homemade ice cream.

Summer is also berry season! Use a single favorite berry or a mixture of all you have. For this recipe, I used my frozen mixed berry bag on hand for smoothies. Frozen berries make extra juice…just how we like it. Serve with whipped cream or homemade ice cream. My kids don’t like big chunks of berry in their cake, so rather than folding the berries into the dough, I added them to the food processor and chopped everything up before kneading.

Mixed Berry Shortcake Stars Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries), frozen or fresh + 1/2 cup mixed berries, fresh or frozen
3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, sliced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream + 1/2 cup heaving whipping cream
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Prepare mixed berry topping by stirring 3 cups of berries with granulated sugar to taste. Set aside to allow the sugar to dissolve.

In a large food processor, combine dry ingredients. Drop in pats of butter and pulse until mixture has pea-sized crumbs. In a large liquid measuring cup, blend 1/2 cup of whipping cream, the beaten egg and the honey. Gradually pour liquid mixture into food processor while gently pulsing. Remove the blade and fold in remaining 1/2 cup berries. Dough will be sticky. Turn out onto flour-dusted work surface and knead until combined.

Press dough into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Use a well-floured star cookie cutter to shape shortcakes. Place cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool for 10 minutes. While cakes are cooling, prepare the whipped cream. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup cream and powdered sugar. Whip until stiff peaks.

Serve in a bowl or plate with berry topping and whipped cream.

What’s your favorite 4th of July dessert?