Apricot & Strawberry Polenta Shortcakes

Summer is here and it means only one thing – that the only time I am turning on my oven is for strawberry shortcakes and strawberry shortcakes ONLY. And since I’m a lover of shortcakes of any kind, I include these Apricot & Strawberry Polenta Shortcakes in that mix. If you’re looking for a dessert that is both easy, unique and impressive, these polenta shortcakes are IT.

There are so many perks to this recipe. The first, you don’t have to knead and shape the dough like a classic shortcake, it all just comes together in one bowl. Then you just scoop it right on top of the fruit. The second perk is in the fruit itself – strawberries and apricot are a killer pairing, and together they make a bright, tart, slightly sweet fruit combo that perfectly pairs with the spoonable, fluffy, nutty corncake shortcakes. PS – you mix them right in the pan you bake them in. Easy as pie, except this is not pie.

This whole dessert encapsulates summer for me, and if you are looking for something to bring to a picnic or gathering, it’s always a crowd pleaser.

What are traditional strawberry shortcakes?

Strawberry shortcakes are my favorite dessert, so I will defend them with my life. Dramatic, but still! I grew up on strawberry shortcakes, which are essentially baked or stewed strawberries served in a shortcake that closely resembles a scone or biscuit. It is a traditional American dessert and can be prepared countless ways, but the main through-point is that the shortcake is high in fat (usually butter or shortening), high in buttermilk or cream (another fat, but you get it), and light and fluffy.

Traditional shortcakes are technically a shortened dough, which can sometimes make it dry or crumbly, so in my shortcake-trial-and-errors I always wanted to make a key point to make sure my shortcakes erred on the side of more cake-like, and less biscuit-like. I find this makes a better overall texture, and something that’s more delicious to scoop up with jammy fruit. The addition of polenta here is for depth of flavor, and although it’s not traditional, I think it does a pretty great job.

Ingredients you will need for these Apricot & Strawberry Polenta Shortcakes

These shortcakes have a pretty basic ingredients list, with me trying to repeat ingredients in different steps, instead of having a laundry list of things you need to buy. I’ve also included a Buttermilk Whipped Cream, which is just *chef’s kiss*. So the ingredients you need for that are below as well. Here is everything you’ll need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, 140g
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 140g
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar, 55g
• 1 & ½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, about 1 a lemon
• 8 tablespoons salted butter, 113g chilled
• 1 cup buttermilk, 240ml
• 2 pounds strawberries, quartered
• 2-3 medium apricots, pitted and sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, about ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Buttermilk Whipped Cream

• ¼ cup buttermilk, 60ml
• 1 cup heavy cream, 240ml
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar

How to prepare this polenta shortcake dough

This doesn’t really fit the traditional parameters of “dough,” but you’ll be shocked at how perfectly it bakes up! This polenta shortcake starts with cutting the butter into the flour, just like you would with a biscuit. But the ratio of buttermilk to flour is higher here than in your normal biscuit, so instead of a firm, shapeable dough, this recipe gives you something almost akin to a very dense (but scoopable!) batter.

I then like to chill the dough in the fridge while I prepare the fruit. This is not mandatory, and I find the dough is easy to shape with or without the chill time. But if your dough needs a place to hang out for a few minutes, the fridge is the best bet.

How to prepare the fruit

The beauty of the fruit is that you can mix it all together in the baking dish you’ll serve it in! Less dishes. We love to see it. The fruit is mixed with the remaining lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. The cornstarch acts as a thickener, holding together the fruit juices that might otherwise bake down into something a bit too watery.

Bringing this Apricot & Strawberry Shortcake recipe together

Once the fruit is prepared and the shortcake dough is ready and set to the side, all you have to do is use a damp hand to portion the dough in eyeballed (AKA, rustic) little dots all over the top. This will make about 8 shortcakes, but you can portion the dough into pieces as big or as small as you like. Brush the tops with any reamining buttermilk to encourage browning, and then you are ready to bake!

While the strawberry polenta shortcakes are baking, feel free to make the buttermilk whipped cream. It’s easy, just pour everything into a stand mixer and beat on medium high for 1-2 minutes or until you see stiff peaks! It’ll have a slight tang to it, it’s delicious.

FAQ

Looking for other simple baking recipes?

Here are a few of my favorites from the blog!

Tamarind Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is a moist, sweet, absolutely delicious version of carrot cake with the unique addition of tamarind paste. Native to Africa and Asia, this tart, subtly sweet fruit adds a unique level of sharpness, fruitiness and flavor to carrot cake that simultaneously compliments its classic flavors while making it taste like something you've never had before.

Check out this recipe

Tiramisu Cookies

These cookies taste so similar to tiramisu that it always surprises me. You'll get notes from the espresso, the rum, the creamy mascarpone and the rich dark chocolate. It might look like a normal cookie, but it will leave you thinking tiramisu was what you had for dessert!

Check out this recipe

Peach Galette with Rosemary Blueberries

This summer tart is for lovers. With a thin cinnamon sugar layer at the bottom and an irresistibly flakey crust, it's the perfect home for ripe summer peaches. The peaches bake and soften in the oven, and rosemary infused blueberries layer on at the end. Serve with whipped cream and taste my favorite version of summer.

Check out this recipe

And that’s it for these Apricot & Strawberry Polenta Shortcakes!

If you make this, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.

Apricot & Strawberry Polenta Shortcakes

5 from 2 votes

The best part about these shortcakes is that there's no shaping, folding or kneading needed. You just stir everything in a bowl, scoop the shortcakes right onto the fruit and bake. The polenta shortcakes come out all fluffy and delicious, while the fruit is bright but sweet. It's one of the best summer desserts.

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Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:45 minutes mins

Servings: 8 shortcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 140g
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal 140g
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar 55g
• 1 & ½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest about 1 a lemon
• 8 tablespoons salted butter 113g, chilled
• 1 cup buttermilk 240ml
• 2 pounds strawberries quartered
• 2-3 medium apricots pitted and sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice about ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the buttermilk whipped cream

• ¼ cup buttermilk 60ml
• 1 cup heavy cream 240ml
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

• Place a rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, salt and half of the lemon zest, reserving the lemon for later.
• Cube the butter and add it to the dry ingredients, tossing and flattening with your fingers until it is cut into the dry ingredients, and no butter piece is bigger than a bean. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, then mix into a sticky, soft dough. Put this in the fridge while you prepare the fruit.
• Add the strawberries and apricot slices to a 9×13 baking dish and grate in the other half of the lemon zest. Add in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir to combine. Layer out the fruit evenly so the baking dish is completely covered.
• Use a damp hand to scoop up the buttermilk batter, about 1/3 cup portions, and flatten them slightly before placing them all over the fruit. Evenly space them out and brush the tops with more buttermilk to encourage browning. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the shortcakes are golden and the fruit is bubbling.
• Make the buttermilk whipped cream while the shortcakes are baking. Add the buttermilk, cream, vanilla and sugar to a stand mixer and beat on medium high speed for 1-2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Store this in the fridge until the shortcakes are out of the oven.
• When everything is ready, scoop and serve together!