Ricotta blackberry shortcakes with honey and thyme {gluten-free}

For the ricotta biscuits:

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (1.75 ounces / 50 grams) millet flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces / 40 grams) gluten-free oat flour
• 2 tablespoons (.5 ounce / 15 grams) tapioca flour/starch (same thing)
• 2 tablespoons (.5 ounce / 15 grams) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons (.75 ounces / 20 grams) organic blonde cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon (.25 ounce / 5 grams) ground chia seed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces / 45 grams) cold, unsalted butter, diced
• zest from 1/2 a large lemon
• 1/2 cup (4.25 ounces / 120 grams) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 6 tablespoons (2.5 ounces / 70 grams) cold heavy cream, plus another 2 tablespoons for brushing the biscuits
• coarse sugar (turbinado), for sprinkling

For the shortcakes:

• 3 cups (12 ounces / 340 grams) blackberries, halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons (2 ounces / 55 grams) honey (blackberry honey, if you’ve got it), plus extra for drizzling
• 1-2 tablespoons loosely packed thyme leaves (lemon thyme, if you’ve got it), plus a few pretty sprigs for garnish
• 1 cup (7 ounces / 200 grams) cold heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (5 ounces / 145 grams) whole-milk ricotta
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the biscuits:
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the millet, oat and tapioca flours with the cornstarch, sugar, chia seed, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and lemon zest, and rub with your fingers until the mixture looks like gravel with some pea-sized butter bits remaining. Add the ricotta and cream, and stir / knead with your hands until the dough comes together in a rough ball. The dough should feel fairly firm, but evenly moistened.

Working quickly to keep the dough cold, turn the dough out onto a surface dusted lightly with oat flour and form it into a disk. Cut the disk into six equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, place on the sheet pan spaced well apart, and flatten slightly. Brush the tops of each biscuit with cream and sprinkle with a bit of coarse sugar. (If the biscuits have become soft, you can chill or freeze them until they have firmed up a bit; this will keep them from spreading too much.)

Bake the biscuits until golden on top, 14-18 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes; they are still cooking from residual heat. The biscuits are best the day of baking, but they will keep at room temperature for a day or two. Toast before serving.

Finish the shortcakes:
Toss the halved berries with the honey and thyme and let macerate for at least 10 minutes and up to an hour or two.

Whip the cream, ricotta, sugar and vanilla until the mixture forms soft peaks. Chill if not using right away.

Slice a biscuit in half using a serrated knife. Place the bottom half on a plate, top with a large dollop of ricotta cream, and place a mess of honeyed berries on top, letting some fall off onto the plate. Top with the biscuit lid, garnish with a drizzle of honey and a thyme sprig or two, and serve.