Blueberry Shortcake

The above was on the dessert "menu" last night at Cathy's Kitchen.  One of my regular "customers" told me that he had never had blueberry shortcake before, only strawberry shortcake. How many of you have ever heard of the word "macerate?"  Sounds like a really fancy word, huh?  To macerate, is to take a food (usually a fruit) and soak it in a liquid. Since I like the combination of blueberries and lemons, I used lemon juice.  You are free to squeeze your own lemons or use bottled lemon juice (like I did).  Blueberry shortcakes aren't just for dessert, you can also have them for breakfast, like I did this morning with my cup of coffee!

Shortcake Recipe:

1 2/3 cup white flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon white sugar (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In large bowl, put the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and shortening.  Combine with large spoon and then add the milk. Mix until a soft dough forms.  Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead about 25 times into the shape of a rectangle 10 inches long and 7 inches wide and about 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle the entire top of the dough evenly with the one teaspoon of white sugar.  Cut into nine equal squares and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 18 minutes or until the shortcakes start turning lightly brown both on the top and bottom.  Remove from oven and then transfer immediately to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Macerated Blueberries:

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
Two tablespoons lemon juice

In a small bowl, put the blueberries and lemon juice.  Stir with small spoon until all the blueberries are coated.  Cover and put in fridge for a minimum of a half hour and a maximum of 24 hours.