Berry Cobbler Shortcake

RECIPE COURTESY SUNSET MAGAZINE PREP AND COOK TIME About 1 hour SERVES 8. INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour About 1 1/3 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon grated orange peel 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt About 3/4 cup (3/8 lb.) butter or margarine, cut into chunks 2 large eggs 2/3 cup buttermilk 2 quarts berries, rinsed and drained (use one kind or mix several), such as blueberries, boysenberries, loganberries, olallieberries, raspberries, or hulled strawberries 1 cup whipping cream DIRECTIONS 1. In a bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, lemon peel, orange peel, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in 3/4 cup butter until coarse crumbs form. 2. In another bowl, mix eggs and buttermilk to blend. Add to flour mixture; stir with a fork until evenly moistened. Spread batter in a buttered shallow 9- by 13-inch casserole. 3. Slice strawberries, if using. In a bowl, mix berries with 1/4 cup sugar. Spoon 3 cups berries evenly over batter. If desired, sweeten remaining berries with more sugar to taste. 4. Bake cobbler in a 350° oven until browned, 30 to 40 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, in a bowl with a mixer on high speed, whip cream until it holds soft peaks; sweeten with about 2 tablespoons sugar to taste. 6. Cut warm or cool cobbler into 8 portions. With a wide spatula, transfer portions to plates. Top equally with remaining berries and whipped cream. Per serving: 554 cal., 47% (261 cal.) from fat; 7.2 g protein; 29 g fat (18 g sat.); 68 g carbo (4.8 g fiber); 578 mg sodium; 136 mg chol. Copyright 2000 Sunset Publishing Corporation