Perfect Berry Shortcakes

Ingredients

• For shortcakes:
• 2 cups all-purpose bleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, frozen
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 egg white (optional)
• 1/2 cup cold half-and-half
• To assemble:
• 1 (16 ounce) package unsweetened frozen raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries, thawed and crushed
• 12 ounces fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries (rinsed and patted dry), or strawberries (hulled and sliced)
• 7 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and 3 Tbs. Sugar in a medium bowl. Grate 2 Tbs. Of the butter on the coarse holes of a box grater into dry ingredients; toss to coat. Repeat grating and tossing with remaining butter. Combine egg and half-and-half; pour into flour mixture. Toss with a fork to form large clumps. Lightly press clumps into a ball; add a teaspoon more half-and-half to the bowl if dough won't come together.

Turn dough onto work surface; press into an 8-by-4- to 5-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares, placing them 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before baking. ) Before baking, brush tops with optional egg white for a particularly attractive sheen. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. Sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.

Mix thawed and fresh berries with sugar in a bowl; let stand until sugar dissolves. With a hand mixer, beat cream to soft peaks, gradually adding 1 Tb. Sugar, then vanilla.

Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries over each cake bottom, then a dollop of whipped cream over berries. Cap with cake top and serve immediately.