I had a big bag of fresh Bing cherries and wanted a fresh and different dessert for the July 4th weekend. Integrating unique spices, this twist on the traditional shortcake dessert is delish.
Ingredients
- Bing cherries, pitted and: 6 cups (halved)
- white sugar: 6 Tbsp
- lemons, zested: 2 piece
- all-purpose flour: 2 cups
- white sugar: 0.25 cup
- cream of tartar: 2 tsp
- baking soda: 1 tsp
- ground cinnamon: 1 tsp
- ground cardamom: 1 tsp
- salt: 0.5 tsp
- frozen butter: 0.5 cup
- egg: 1 piece (beaten)
- half-and-half: 0.5 cup (or more if needed, cold)
- egg white: 1 piece (optional)
- white sugar: 1 tsp (to taste)
- whipped cream: 1 cup
- almonds: 1 cup (chopped)
- cherries with stems: 6 piece
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Combine 6 cups cherries, 6 tablespoons sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Allow cherries to rest for 2 to 3 hours.
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk egg and half-and-half in a small bowl; stir into the flour mixture with a fork until dough is moistened with large clumps. Add a teaspoon more half-and-half to the bowl if dough won't come together.
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Roll tennis ball size scoops of dough and place on prepared baking sheet. Press each ball down lightly to form 1/2-inch discs. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.
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Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
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Slice each cake in half horizontally. Layer a generous portion of halved cherries, almonds, and whipped cream between cake halves. Top with another dollop of whipped cream, almonds, and a whole cherry.
