Berry Shortcake - cheat a little as you whittle your middle!

Now that the weather is warming up, and Punxatawney Phil and his buddies have decided to come out while the tulip bulbs are slowly making their way out, its also time for berries! One can enjoy berries year long, but picking fresh berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries is just a totally unbeatable experience on its own.
Nutritionally, berries are powerpacked with Vitamin C, minerals and phytochemicals for a minimal amount of calories. Flavonoids in berries help prevent certain kinds of cancer.
Start your day with a healthy breakfast, incorporating a handful of berries into any breakfast you can handle - a bowl of warm oatmeal topped with berries, walnuts and honey OR Berries and bananas with granola and cereal and milk, OR a berry and yogurt parfait or smoothie..


Of course, sometimes, its great to indulge in a little added sugar too.. so here is a simple recipe for a Yummy Berry Shortcake, with biscuits.

Ingredients

* 4 cups stemmed and halved strawberries
* 2 cups blueberries
* 2 cups blackberries
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur or use 1 tsp. Orange Zest mixed with 1 tbsp of lemon juice
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 refrigerated can large biscuits
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* Sanding sugar
* Whipped cream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add all the berries along with the honey, liqueur and sugar. Mix together and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Arrange the biscuits onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Brush butter over the tops and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake according to the cooking instructions on the package. When baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Cut the biscuits in half and cover the bottom half with berries. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle with some of the berry juice. Cover with the top half of the biscuit or lean it on the side. Arrange on serving plates or on a platter and serve.

Whipped Cream:

* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with a hand-held mixer until a foam forms. Add the sugar and vanilla extract. Continue beating until soft peaks form.

Recipe Courtesy: Baking with the Neelys - Food Network