Blackberry-lemon Shortcake

I've taken quite the hiatus these past few months.  I'm not really sure what I've been eating, but it certainly hasn't been anything creative coming out of my kitchen.  But Spring has a way of rejuvenating, doesn't it?  I've built new garden boxes, the basil and arugula are in, and happily my blueberry bushes are heavy with buds after last year's dud season.

Last week I found myself on Long Island and took the long way home so I could swing by Trader Joe's (perhaps the last time I need to lug TJ's stuff back from Jersey?!).  I'd grabbed a jar of lemon curd, which I love but so rarely use.  Today, while out running errands, I spied a decent deal on plump, gorgeous blackberries and the stars aligned...

I decided to make a blackberry shortcake and top it with lemon curd.  I didn't want to just fill a shell with raw berries, so I used maybe a third of what I had to make a chunky sauce.  I started with just a little bit of water and brown sugar at a boil, dropped it down to a simmer and dropped the berries in.  Some freshly grated nutmeg, vanilla and about 20 minutes and I had a sauce.  I tossed in the rest of the berried, stirred them to coat and that was it.  I'd grabbed shortcake shells because they were handy, but I think this would be awesome on pound cake or homemade biscuits.


Happy Spring!