Clementine Shortcake on Olive Oil Biscuit

This recipe for Clementine Shortcake came about during the WHOPPING 3 days break I took over the Christmas holiday. I tried to sit and do nothing for a while, but I just didn't know what else to do with myself. I was watching some documentaries about other Chefs around the world and I just had to jump back into the kitchen.

Making the Shortcake

This shortcake highlights the seasonal citrus of winter and wraps it up and the warmest of hugs! I played around with a classic southern shortcake recipe that is very biscuity and gave it my own spin with the addition of olive oil. I then rolled it out onto a powdered sugared board and dusted it before baking that added some sweetness to the cake and gave a bit of a crunch to the outside.

Making the Clementine topping

Then peeled and cleaned the clementines, dusted them with a couple of tablespoons of sugar and the juice of 2 clementines and let them macerate for about an hour. Follow the same technique that you would when making strawberry shortcake. I then whipped a little bit of heavy cream and powdered sugar just until it began to thicken, leaving it a bit like a clotted cream.

Creating a Clementine Shortcake

Layer the biscuit-like cake and cream with a topping of the macerated clementines and toasted pistachios. I love the layer of flavors that show off here. It makes me reminisce over a favorite Persian-style dessert of rice pudding, with pistachio, orange blossom water, and fruit.

To tell the truth, this recipe came together in my head after hearing the stories of other Chefs with different cultural and economic backgrounds. They were sharing about how food shaped their childhoods and eventually their lives. It made them who they are today and shapes the food they serve.

These flavors came together in my head and then applied them in the kitchen. I am happy to report that it worked GREAT, and I can share it with you here now. I hope you enjoy my take on shortcake and give it a try.

Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

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📖 Recipe

Clementine Shortcake

This recipe came together in my mind after being inspired by the stories of other chefs around the world. I put pen to paper and it turned out amazing! I hope you give it a try and that you love it as much as I have.

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Ingredients

for the shortcakes:

• 2 cups Self-Rising Flour
• 2 tablespoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ½ cup Unsalted Butter
• 1 lg Egg
• ¾ cup Buttermilk
• ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Powdered Sugar for rolling and dusting
• Raw Pistachios, toasted

for the clementine syrup:

• 6 Clementine Orange
• 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar

for the whipped cream:

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 tablespoons Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

Instructions

for the shortcakes:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Grate the butter into the flour and toss to coat. Work the flour in by rubbing it into the flour with your hands until it begins to form a paste, much like making a biscuit.
2. Stir in the egg, buttermilk, and olive oil until a dough forms and works it into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Generously dust your counter with powdered sugar. Turn out the dough on the sugared surface and dust the dough with more sugar. Press the dough out into a ½ inch thick rectangle and cut into 6 pieces. Continue to coat the dough in sugar as needed so it doesn't stick to your hands. Place the cakes onto the parchment-lined sheet pan ¼ inch apart. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly golden on top.

for the clementine syrup:

1. Peel and clean the white membrane off of 4 oranges as best as possible. Break the individual segments apart and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over the segments and squeeze the juice of the other two over top. Toss to coat, refrigerate 30 minutes minimum, up to overnight.

for the whipped cream:

1. Gently whip the heavy cream until you start to see it thicken slightly. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until it just begins to get thick. You don't want a whipped cream that holds peaks, you just want a thickened and sweetened soft cream to top the shortcakes with.
2. Build your clementine shortcakes by layering pieces of shortcake and whipped cream and then topping with the clementines and syrup. Top with toasted pistachios and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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