Blueberry Shortcake, There's No Such Thing! 1.03 Kill Me Now
“Use the blueberries.” “To make what?” “Blueberry shortcake.” “There’s no such thing.”
Blueberry Shortcake
Ingredients:
For the shortcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ stick of cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
2 eggs
½ tsp of vanilla
1 tsp lemon zest
For the blueberry topping
3 cups of blueberries
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cold butter to the flour and mix with your hands until it resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Mix in the baking powder and sugar.
Slowly add in the heavy cream and mix until combined. Mix in one egg, vanilla, and lemon zest.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth ball is formed. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Split dough into 6 equal parts. Form each part into a round biscuit shape and place on a greased baking sheet or parchment paper.
Beat the other egg into a bowl and brush a thin glaze over the shortcakes. This will create a nice, golden color.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, let’s make the sauce!
While the shortcakes are baking, heat 2 cups of the blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a large pot over high heat until the mixture starts to boil. Allow to boil for about 4 minutes or until the blueberries begin to burst.
Mix the cornstarch with about a tsp of water then add to the blueberry sauce and boil for another minute to thicken the sauce.
Remove from the heat and add the remaining blueberries. This gives your sauce a nice texture. You can either serve the sauce warm or cold with the shortcakes, it’s up to you!
Serve the sauce over the shortcakes once they’ve cooled with whipped cream (homemade or store bought) and a sprinkling of fresh lemon zest.
Cooking Time: 20 minutes I Prep Time: 25 minutes I Makes 6 Servings
We have another Sookie recipe today! This dish is inspired by one of her earliest scenes with the love of her life, Jackson. I wish we got to see even more into their relationship, especially in the later seasons. Other than having kids, their relationship sort of takes a back burner to other plot lines. I love the dynamic between Sookie and Jackson, and I honestly believe Jackson is one of the best male characters on the show (except the whole vasectomy plot...yikes).
In this scene, Jackson arrives to deliver produce to Sookie (I mean is there anything cuter than a produce guy and a chef falling in love?), but he has blueberries instead of strawberries. Blasphemy! Sookie is enraged by this because she needs strawberries to make strawberry shortcake for 200 people at the upcoming wedding at the Inn. Jackson suggests that she makes blueberry shortcake to which she responds, “there’s no such thing!”
As acclaimed of a chef as Sookie is, I think she would have no problem inventing blueberry shortcake. She loves creating new dishes, so I don’t think there would really be a problem. However, as I mentioned a couple posts ago, I identify a lot with Sookie. When I have a plan, I don’t like things to mess up that plan. I can easily understand why Sookie, who planned to make strawberry shortcake, would become so upset when that plan is thrown out of sorts with a blueberry delivery.
I love that the plot of blueberry shortcake comes back around towards the end of the episode. When Lorelai and Rory visit their grandparents, and Lorelai brings the leftover shortcake, we get an iconic Emily line, “you brought us used dessert?” Even though Emily is being...well Emily, a reheated dessert just doesn’t hold up to the greatness of a fresh from the oven dessert.
And this shortcake, fresh from the oven, is just that- greatness. I was really tempted to make this a blueberry coffee cake (which honestly is apropos for Gilmore Girls) with a nice crumble on top, but Jackson said to make blueberry shortcake, so we’re making a shortcake. I found these cute mini casserole dishes at my local Aldi last weekend, and I had to grab them for my Gilmore baking needs. They were absolutely perfect for the shortcakes.
I’m not usually a huge cake fan (unless it’s cheesecake, then sign me up), but shortcakes are light and fluffy, so you don’t feel completely stuffed afterwards. I love using blueberries in baked goods. There is something so delectable about a rich and warm blueberry sauce. Fresh lemon zest always pairs perfectly with blueberries, so be sure to not only add some when you make the shortcakes, but sprinkled over your finished dessert! What’s great about this dessert is that you can enjoy it warm or cold. I had mine slightly warm, and it reminded me of a blueberry muffin. The verdict? I like blueberry shortcake even more than strawberry!
This episode is our first foray into the relationship between Richard and Rory. I think it’s one of my favorite relationships on this show. Most of the time they serve as a stabilizer for the tumultuous relationship between Lorelai and Emily. I like how Richard is so hesitant to bring Rory to the club, but ends up loving his time with her. I think this episode was also my introduction to my love of traveling. Rory shares with her grandpa that she’s jealous he’s been to so many places. Richard has one of my favorite lines here, “I suspect you have a yen for traveling.”
What a poetic way to describe having the travel bug. Honestly, I need to use that line more often. Rory admits that she wants to travel to many places, “Paris, Rome, London, Prague, Istanbul, Fez.” I never realized until rewatching this episode AGAIN but so far, I’ve been going through her list here in order. I went to Paris then Rome in my senior year of college and London just last year. According to Rory’s list, I need to take a trip to Prague soon. I would love to go during this time of year when all their Christmas markets are set up. That was one of my favorite parts about visiting London during the middle of November. Europeans just know how to do Christmas markets right. I think I might need to figure out some way of visiting Christmas markets virtually, and I know one person who will be very on board with this idea.
I also love the argument between Rory and Lorelai. Okay, I don’t love it, but I do love how it ends with a petty “you’re boobs are bigger than mine.” These pointless bickerings are quintessential to the Lorelai and Rory relationship and a pillar of best friendships. Eventually, the girls resolve their argument at the end of the episode, but Lorelai’s jealousy over Rory’s relationship with her grandparents is a recurring conflict throughout the show. What pointless argument have you had with your best friend? Let me know in the comments!
If you missed what I made last episode, catch up here!
