There’s a challenge that comes with putting great ideas into play when you have limited resources. It’s a challenge we face constantly when working with our smaller clients. It doesn’t matter how great the idea is, if you don’t have the resources, you aren’t going to be able to put the idea to work for you.

Any good cook knows this scenario all too well. You’re looking to make something tasty and you realize you’re missing a key ingredient. Sure, you can take time out of your day, head to the store and invest more money into getting just the right ingredient…but that’s not always the best route. They say necessity is the mother of invention and when it comes to both baking and marketing, invention can be a good thing.

Playing to your strengths and working with what’s available can sometimes lead to simplest and yet most compelling campaigns we see. It doesn’t get much simpler than knowing Old Spice makes you “smell like a man.” Building off that simple foundation was enough to launch an absolute viral sensation. That’s why it’s so important to learn to turn your limitations into innovations.

That’s exactly how Double Berry Shortcake Sliders came about. I’d been holding on to a recipe for strawberry shortcakes sliders for months and when the time that I finally had a craving for them, I couldn’t find good strawberries in the stores. I’d just returned home from a trip to visit my family though and had returned with fresh blueberries and raspberries galore from the bushes in my parents back yard. Who says shortcake has to be made with strawberries?

A bit of lemon zest added to the whipped cream and a substitute berry combination later and we found ourselves enjoying little bite size bits of yumminess. Limited by those missing strawberries? No way..it was just a great reason to go a different direction and to discover a recipe that works.

Double Berry Shortcake Sliders
(Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes)

For the biscuits
2 c all purpose flour
2 T white sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 stick cold butter
7/8 c heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
1 t vanilla extract
Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.

2. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut small chunks of butter into dry ingredients

3. Whisk cream, egg and vanilla together in a small bowl

4. Mix liquid and dry ingredients until moist and well mixed

5. Turn dough out onto a counter and knead 8-10 turns to form a ball

6. Lightly flour a smoother surface and roll dough to 1/2″ thickness

7. Use a juice class or very small biscuit butter to make small rounds

8. Place rounds on an ungreased baking sheet

9. Chill for 10 minutes in fridge

10. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until lightly browned

11. Remove to racks to cool

For the Whipped Cream (don’t you dare use Cool Whip!)

1 c heavy whipping cream
1 T white sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t lemon zest

1. Start with cold cream and a chilled bow

2. Add whipping cream to bowl and whip at high speed with a whisk attachment until it begins to firm up

3. Sprinkle the sugar over the cream and add the vanilla

4. Continue to whip until cream is thick and holds it’s shape

5. Gentle fold in the lemon zest

To make the whipped cream, make sure you are starting with cream that is very cold. It helps to chill the bowl first too. Use a hand mixer (you can make whipped cream in a blender, but watch out; it’s easy to over-whip the cream in a blender) to whip the cream until it just begins to firm up. Sprinkle the sugar and vanilla over the cream. Continue to whip until it is thick and holds its shape.

For the Sliders

1. When the biscuits have cooled, gently split them in the middle

2. Spoon a tiny bit of whipped cream into bottom layer of biscuit

3. Pile with blueberries and raspberries

4. Add more whipped cream

5. Top slider off with other half of biscuit, adding more fruit and whipped topping if desired