At last, spring is here! One of things I am most excited about is the local farmer’s market starting back up in a couple of weeks. This year I signed up for a CSA and look forward to having an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. There is little I enjoy more than the sweet juicy berries from local farms.

During the spring and summer months, berries are the star of so many foods that I prepare. One of my favorite simple and delicious desserts is Mixed Berry Shortcakes. The old fashioned kind of shortcakes made with lightly sweetened baking powder biscuits and fresh whipped cream. Mmmm…

Don’t you just want to bite into that?

This is a partnered post with SPLENDA®. I was challenged to create a sweet swap recipe using SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener. I hope you enjoy these mixed berry shortcakes as much as I do!

I generally eat a lot lighter this time of the year, making big colorful salads and often grilling vegetables instead of burgers. It only makes sense to cut back on the sugar as well.

Maybe it’s a southern thing, but I will never get tired of making these old fashioned baking powder biscuits. Perhaps, it’s because they remind me of my grandmother. Regardless, they are amazing! I’ll include the recipe below. They are so simple to make.

Old Fashioned Baking Powder Shortcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 tablespoons Granulated SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon soft butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, SPLENDA®, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If you don’t have a pastry blender just use two knives, criss-crossed, to slowly cut the butter up with the flour mixture in a scissors-like motion.

2) Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the milk. Using a fork, stir just till moistened and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be sticky.

3) On a floured surface, lightly knead dough with floured hands for 30 seconds or until almost smooth. Lightly roll the dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, dipping cutter into flour between cuts.

4) Place the biscuits close together on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with softened butter. Sprinkle with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated and Cinnamon. Bake in a 475° oven for 11 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Mixed Berry Shortcakes

Ingredients:
Shortcakes (recipe above)

1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 cup blackberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
6 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Strawberry Filling- In a medium sized bowl, toss the berries with 6 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. This will help the berries release their natural juices.

2) Prepare biscuits according to above recipe.

3) When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. In a large chilled bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups cold whipping cream with 2 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated and vanilla until soft peaks form.

4) To serve- Slice cooled biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon the berries and their liquid over the bottom halves. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the strawberries, and replace top halves of shortcakes. Optionally, garnish each shortcake with a berry and mint leaf. Enjoy!

Note: SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated measures cup for cup like sugar – so whatever amount of sugar your recipe requires just substitute the same amount of SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener.

Fun Fact: By swapping one cup of sugar with one cup of SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, you can save more than 600 calories!

Want to see more sweet swaps? Join me with @TheMotherhood for the #SweetSwaps Twitter party on Tuesday, March 31 at 1 p.m. ET! There will be prizes! RSVP: http://vite.io/themotherhood.

Visit SweetSwaps.com for more delicious recipes with fewer calories!

This post is part of the SPLENDA® Brand Sweet Life blogger program by McNeil Nutritionals, LLC. and The Motherhood, who sent me products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Mixed Berry Shortcakes

About a Mom

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Ingredients

  

• 1 pint strawberries sliced
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 6 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener Granulated
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener Granulated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients to make shortcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 tablespoons Granulated SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon soft butter
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Instructions

 

To Create Shortcakes:

• 1) In a mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, SPLENDA®, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If you don't have a pastry blender just use two knives, criss-crossed, to slowly cut the butter up with the flour mixture in a scissors-like motion.
• 2) Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the milk. Using a fork, stir just till moistened and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be sticky.
• 3) On a floured surface, lightly knead dough with floured hands for 30 seconds or until almost smooth. Lightly roll the dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, dipping cutter into flour between cuts.
• 4) Place the biscuits close together on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with softened butter. Sprinkle with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated and Cinnamon. Bake in a 475° oven for 11 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• 1) Strawberry Filling- In a medium sized bowl, toss the berries with 6 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. This will help the berries release their natural juices.
• 2) Prepare biscuits according to above recipe.
• 3) When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. In a large chilled bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups cold whipping cream with 2 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated and vanilla until soft peaks form.
• 4) To serve- Slice cooled biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon the berries and their liquid over the bottom halves. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the strawberries, and replace top halves of shortcakes. Optionally, garnish each shortcake with a berry and mint leaf. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!