When it comes to baking, let it be known for the record that I’m a “from scratch” kinda girl. However…
After our recent trip home, Mom included a “mix” in her farewell basket of goodies. I was skeptical at first.
Shortcake from a mix? With a mere two ingredients added? Hmmm….
Clearly, this had to be pondered for awhile. (Speaking of which, check out this post for a fun time spent musing.)
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
The “mix” begged to be reckoned with every time I opened the pantry door. I finally succumbed.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce… Sturdiwheat All Natural Dessert Mix. Simply add butter and water. (Or in my case — unsalted butter, a pinch of Kosher salt, and a sprinkling of Turbinado sugar before baking.)
Just for “fun” (and because they were on sale), I used fresh cherries (instead of the usual strawberries) and made a Cherry-Cabermet Reduction (because I can’t leave well enough alone.)
The end result even inspired the Man of Few Words to utter a whole sentence: “This stuff is really light.”
Music to my ears.
Fresh Cherry Shortcake with A Cherry-Cabernet Reduction
For the shortcake:
1 (11 oz.) pkg. Sturdiwheat All Natural Shortcake Dessert Mix
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 c. water
2 T. Turbinado sugar (aka “Sugar In The Raw”)
For the filling:
1/2 lb. fresh cherries, halved and pitted
1 pt. heavy cream, whipped with 2 T. sugar and 1 t. vanilla
For the Cherry-Cabernet Reduction:
12 ripe, pitted cherries
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. to 1/2 c. sugar (I used a 1/2 cup)
1/2 c. Cabernet Sauvignon or other good red wine
Preheat oven to 375°. Begin by preparing shortcake as directed on the package. (I substituted unsalted butter and Kosher salt for the salted butter.) Spoon batter onto a greased baking sheet to form 9 “mounds” and sprinkle tops with Turbinado sugar. Bake at 375° F. for 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove shortcakes to a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, prepare Cherry-Cabernet Reduction. Place a dozen pitted cherries in a small saucepan and mash with a fork. Add water and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash cherries again halfway through cooking time. Remove from heat.
Pour cherry pulp and juice into a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof measuring cup; press cooked cherries with a fork to extract juice. (Discard the pulp … or eat it with a spoon … or spread it on hot, buttered toast… just sayin’.)
Return strained cherry juice to the same saucepan. Add Cabernet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce is reduced by half. (It should be thick and syrupy.) Remove from heat. While sauce is cooling, prepare the whipped cream.
To assemble the dessert, drizzle warm Cherry-Cabernet Reduction onto dessert plates. Split the shortcakes in half (horizontally) and fill with a generous dollop of whipped cream and as many cherries as you like. Nestle the shortcake “top” over that. Garnish with a small dollop of whipped cream and a whole cherry. Enjoy!
When life hands you cherries, make shortcake.
~ Kim
P.S. Even though I’m proud to be an Okie, this shortcake mix (and many other fine products) are made in my home state of Minnesota.
Oh wow, beautifully presented. Cherries are amazing, I could eat them all day!
Thank you! I agree with you about cherries — they’re hard to resist! So nice of you to comment, too — thanks for stopping by to visit! :)
~ Kim
I will be trying this cherry-Cabernet reductction! It sounds so decadent! I’m so glad you stopped by my blog, this is my first time here! Looking forward to coming back!
Cassie, I have your “Duffins” recipe printed off to bake this weekend — can’t wait to try them! So nice to “meet” you via Mike’s link party — he sure knows how to instigate FUN! :)
~ Kim
Wow! This looks great and I love the Cabernet reduction! I am a Cab girl ;)
Great post and thank you SO much for your visits to basilmomma :)
Now that I am going back to school I am cutting my posting back to maybe twice a week…I can’t keep up!
Heather, someday we will get together and enjoy our mutual loves of life — family, friends, cooking, and Cabernet — with a lake view. :) So much to be thankful for — blessings to you and yours!
~ Kim
P.S. Congratulations on going back to school!
I love shortcake!!!! Sadly, my last experience with it was when I asked my husband “will you make me shortcake for my birthday please?” (this was maybe 3 years ago). The result was hard as a rock. Needless to say, inedible–I felt bad, because he had gone to such trouble! Yikes. I think I need to redeem that experience and make a light and fluffy kind.
Helps if I type my reply first… :) Jenna, the best shortcake from scratch (IMHO) is found here. Swoon. I’ve made my share of “rocks,” too, so I was really tickled when these turned out so well. (From a mix, no less.) Either way, I think I’ve found my shortcake recipes for life, from scratch and from Sturdiwheat!.
P.S. I think it’s SO sweet that your hubby made you “shortcake on request!” Love overlooks little things like inedible birthday treats… :)
I’m suspicious of mixes as well, but sometimes they turn out pretty good!
This one DID! (I hope you’ll check out their website.) Thanks for coming by, Melissa! :)
Absolutely stunning! Your pictures are incredible and that looks delicious!
Thanks, Ann! It’s fun when an inspiration turns out as tasty as it looks — and easy, too!
~ Kim
Lovely presentation & colours! Wow, bet it tastes good too!
Shirley, you are talented at presentation and colours, so that’s a special compliment coming from you — thank you!
I am a from scratch baker for sure. But for shortcake I use Bisquik – it just tastes good, and works! This looks amazing with the cherries – so pretty!
Thanks, Erin! Mix or not, shortcake is a tasty way to celebrate summer fruit. :)
~ Kim
This looks like a dessert in a five-star hotel! The presentation is excellent and I loved the reduction!! Anything fancy can be possible with red wine!!
Purabi, it was fun drizzling the reduction onto the plates — the “dots” looked like liquid rubies! :)
~ Kim
Shortcake from a mix? And it looks that good? Love stuff like that. And how inspired to use cabernet along with cherries instead of going the strawberry route. Love this post.
Thank you! I enjoy my kitchen experiments — glad you did, too! :)
~ Kim
What a beautiful shortcake! I’ve never had a cherry cabernet reduction on anything but it sounds fantastic!
Hi, Maureen! I’d never had it either, until now! :) Thanks for your kind comments.
~ Kim