My first food post (Trust me, there's gonna be a lot of these)

As some of you know, I am crazy about baking. Cooking -- not so much, but baking is nirvana. I recently had a fairly large family group show up and it was my pleasure to serve a brunch. And let me tell you, it was fun and we had plenty to eat. One of the recipes was a real hit, so I thought I'd share it with you. It is NOT mine. It came from one of my favorite cookbooks: "Morning Food" by Margaret Fox.

The recipe is Warm Berries and Peaches with Shortcake Biscuits & Whipped Cream. (You think the name is a mouthful.... Wait till you get a taste of these! They are TO DIE FOR good.)

For the fruit mixture:
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 small or 1 large peach, peeled, and cut into eighths
3 cups raspberries
2 tablespoons raspberry eau-de-vie (instead I used a mixture of raspberry syrup and water - equal portions)

For the shortcake biscuits:
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-teaspoon-sized pieces, and frozen
2 cups and 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

To prepare the fruit: Combine the blueberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt in a non-aluminum saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, simmering until the mixture thickens and a sauce forms, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the peaches and cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat, and gently fold in the raspberries and eau-de-vie. Set aside.

To prepare the biscuits: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, place the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend briefly. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Pour mixture into a bowl, add 1 cup of the cream, and combine with a fork until moistened. Immediately turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 10 times. Small lumps of butter should be visible. Roll out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Keep dough in a square shape. Cut into 6 pieces and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (You can do this either with a knife, for square biscuits, or with biscuit cutters for round ones. If you don’t have biscuit cutters, you can also use one end of a clean 8-oz tomato sauce can.)

Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and brush on the tops of the biscuits. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the whipped cream: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to the remaining 1 cup of whipping cream, along with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate. (It is helpful if, before adding the cream, sugar and vanilla to the bowl you have first chilled the bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes.)

To assemble: When cool, split the biscuits and place the bottom half of each onto a plate or in a bowl. Add one-sixth of the berry mixture, and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream. Place the tops on, slightly off-center, and serve immediately.