Summer Berry Shortcakes with Tangy Lemon Cream

Preparation

1. For berries:

   Step 1

   Combine berries in a bowl. Add sugar, mint and lemon juice; toss well and chill, tossing occasionally, 4 hours or overnight. For lemon cream: Combine sour cream, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl; mix well. Chill at least 1 hour.

2. For shortcakes:

   Step 2

   Heat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a bowl until well blended. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut butter pieces into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. With a rubber spatula, stir in 1 cup plus 1 tbsp buttermilk until just moistened and dough begins to form (it will be sticky at this point). With lightly floured hands, gently knead dough 3 or 4 times until it holds together. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll dough with a rolling pin into an 8 1/2-inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. With a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 8 circles from dough and transfer to baking sheet. Discard dough scraps. Brush top of each shortcake with remaining 1 tbsp buttermilk. Bake until shortcakes rise and turn lightly golden, 16 to 18 minutes.

3. To serve:

   Step 3

   Cut each shortcake in half crosswise. Place the bottom on a plate and top with 3/4 cup berry mixture and 2 tbsp lemon cream. Cover with top half of shortcake. Serve immediately.