Blueberry & Cherry Shortcakes

This elegant shortcake dessert features fresh blueberries and cherries with a hint of rosé wine, offering a unique and delightful flavor. The light and fluffy shortcakes are topped with a tangy sour cream whipped cream, making it the perfect treat for summer gatherings!

Anita Parris Soule is a born and raised Virginia girl with a passion for delicious food, beautiful words, and childhood memories. She combines these passions at Wild Thistle Kitchen, a blog she created in 2013 to share her love of cooking and writing. Her appetite for food, cooking, and all things culinary was inspired early on by her father and has never stopped growing. With a strong French influence, her meals are simple, classic, and unique. She loves baking sweet treats, too—especially on snow days. She lives in the country with her husband, kids, and animals. When she’s not whipping up delicious recipes, she’s outside picking wild flowers, catching fireflies, visiting farmer’s markets, walking through the forest, and taking in all the beauty Virginia has to offer.

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A Note From Anita…

Say hello to strawberry shortcake’s grown up, sophisticated, oh-so-elegant cousin. Everyone has had strawberry shortcake—it’s a classic that we all love. But I wanted to mix things up using blueberries and cherries since they’re in season right now, and make something worthy of a Virginia summertime backyard soirée—and what’s more summertime than rosé?

Adding rosé wine to the fruit gives a hint of acidity and amplifies their fruity sweetness—you won’t get a wine taste, just a slightly floral, extra fruity undertone. Then by adding a touch of sour cream (or feel free to use crème fraiche), the whipped cream is given a welcome tanginess to offset the sweet fruit. Save some fresh fruit for garnish, scatter some wild flowers all over the table, and you have the perfect, most beautiful seasonal sweet treat.

How to Pick Fresh Cherries

Did you know you can pick cherries in Virginia? Places like Chiles Orchard have seasonal berry picking as well as cherry picking! Here are some tips for picking fresh cherries:

• Color: Choose cherries that are vibrant and deep in color, whether they are red, yellow, or black. Avoid cherries with pale or uneven coloring.
• Firmness: Gently squeeze the cherries to check for firmness. Fresh cherries should be firm to the touch but not hard. Avoid cherries that feel soft or mushy.
• Stems: Look for cherries with green, flexible stems attached. Cherries with fresh stems are likely to be fresher. However, cherries without stems can still be good if they meet other criteria.
• Size: While size can vary by variety, larger cherries often indicate they are riper and juicier. Choose plump cherries for the best flavor.
• Season: Cherries are typically in season from late spring to mid-summer. Buying during this peak season increases the chances of getting the freshest cherries.
• Storage: Once picked, store cherries in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness. Keep them dry and avoid washing until you’re ready to eat them, as moisture can speed up spoilage.

Also, the color combo here screams 4th of July! Grab some fresh, local fruit and wine and give these a try.

Berry Shortcakes with Sour Cream Whipped Cream

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This elegant shortcake dessert features fresh blueberries and cherries with a hint of rosé wine, offering a unique and delightful flavor. The light and fluffy shortcakes are topped with a tangy sour cream whipped cream, making it the perfect treat for summer gatherings!

• Author: Anita Parris Soule
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6–8 shortcakes 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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Shortcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ – ½ cup whole milk (you probably won’t need all of it, save the leftovers for brushing the shortcakes)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), diced and very cold
• 1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum-free)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Blueberry Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries (plus a few for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup rosé wine
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Cherry Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted (plus a few for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup rosé wine
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, seeds from one vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

For the Shortcakes:

1. Place shortcakes onto a parchment lined baking sheet, brush with leftover milk/vanilla mixture, sprinkle with sugar, and place in freezer for 30 minutes while you clean up, prepare sauces, and whip the cream. The freezing step ensures a good rise and it’s a trick I learned from a few of my very wise biscuit and scone making friends.
2. After shortcakes have been in the freezer for 30 minutes, bake in a 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked throughout. I find that once they are nice and golden on top, they are done, but don’t be afraid to peek inside one to be extra sure. No one will know, I promise.
3. Remove from oven and let cool to room temp before assembling.

Sauces:

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, (cherry mixture in one pan, blueberry mixture in another) stir to combine, and cook on medium heat until fruits release some liquid and the sauce thickens just a bit.
2. This takes about 5 minutes. You can either make them separately as I have done or toss all ingredients for both sauces in a big saucepan and cook as instructed above. Allow sauces to cool to room temperature.

Whipped Cream:

1. Combine cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Either with a whisk or hand mixer, whisk until you have soft peaks. Don’t over mix—you want it soft and billowy.
2. Stash this in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble.

To Assemble:

1. Split shortcake in half, I use a fork for this to get some nice nooks and crannies. Then add a generous spoonful of whipped cream, a few spoons of each fruit sauce, another spoonful of cream, and top with other half of shortcake.
2. Garnish with fresh blueberries and cherries if desired. This makes a great do-it-yourself dessert too. Just set all ingredients out and let guests build their own shortcake.