Blueberry Shortcakes

Center a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet or line it with parchment.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl and stir to incorporate. Cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or two large forks until you have pea-sized pieces. Add the frozen berries and lightly fold them in.

Whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the milk mixture, and stir until the dough is just combined. Do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten it back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and pressing the dough three times.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the shortcakes out with a 2½-inch round biscuit cutter. Place them on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Brush the tops with the cream or whole milk. Bake them for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

Leave them on the baking sheet until cool, then cover them with a kitchen towel. The shortcakes can be made a day ahead or the morning of. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days—but don’t fill the container while the shortcakes are still warm, or they will become soggy. Serve with the peach topping and whipped cream.

For the peach topping and whipped cream:

4 fresh ripe peaches peeled and sliced into ½-3/4 inch pieces
1/2 tsp. grated cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs. of lemon juice
1 Tbs. vanilla extract (optional)
4 oz. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the peach slices in a medium bowl, add sugar and cinnamon, then stir to coat the fruit. Add the lemon juice and stir. Let the mixture rest in refrigerator for at least half an hour before serving.

In the meantime, pour the whipping cream and vanilla extract in a medium-size bowl and whisk until light peaks form. Place the whipped cream in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.