Ginger Crunch Shortcake Food

GINGER-PEACH SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine peach slices and 1/4 cup sugar; cover and refrigerate. Line a greased 9-in. square baking pan with waxed paper; set aside. For topping, combine flour and brown sugar in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in ginger if desired; set aside., For shortcake, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle with reserved topping., Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Gently peel off waxed paper. Cool crumb side up on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature., Just before serving, beat cream in a small mixing bowl until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Cut cake into nine squares. Split each square horizontally. Place bottom half on serving plate; top with 1/4 cup peach slices. Top with top of shortcake, peaches and whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Spread in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. , Cut into nine servings. Split each serving horizontally and fill with whipped cream and strawberries. Replace top of cake; garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and more berries. Serve immediately.

GINGER CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
• Using a mixer or a food processor, cream the butter and sugar.
• Add sifted flour, ground ginger and baking powder and mix well until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs- you can do this with your fingers if you like, but I do it in the food processor.
• If using a food processor, scrape down sides once or twice to ensure all butter is mixed in with the flour.
• Tip mixture into a well-greased shallow sided baking tin measuring approximately 27cm x 17cm (10 1/2" x 6 1/2") or a 20cm (8") square.
• Using your fingers or the back of a fork, spread mixture evenly then press down lightly until just firm.
• Don't press too hard or the mixture will set like concrete.
• Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• During the last few minutes of baking, combine all the icing (frosting) ingredients in a small saucepan and melt over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Remove the biscuit base from the oven and immediately pour hot icing mixture as evenly as possible over the base.
• Use a bread knife to spread the icing evenly over the base.
• Now, cut the pieces of crystallised ginger in half and space them out evenly on top.
• Slice into approximately 20 squares while still warm.
• Remove baking tin when cool and store in an airtight tin.

ICED GINGER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 20cm square baking tray. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour and ginger, then mix together with a knife. Using lightly floured hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough, then spread it into the greased baking tray. Bake for 30 mins until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
• For the icing, melt the butter and syrup in a pan. Remove from the heat, sift in the icing sugar and ginger, then mix until smooth and glossy. Cool until almost cold and beat well again. Spread the icing over the shortcake using a palette knife, decorate with chopped crystallised ginger and serve cut into slices.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• For the crust: Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• To a 12- to 14-cup food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the sandwich cookies, slightly breaking them up as you add them. Process until the cookies are completely broken up. While the machine is running, slowly stream in the melted butter. The mixture should now resemble wet sand and should hold together when pressed in your hands. Add the mixture to the prepared pan and evenly spread all over the base and about 1/2 inch up the sides. Place the crust in the freezer for 30 minutes. Reserve the food processor bowl to make the shortcake crumbs.
• For the shortcake crumbs: Reattach the food processor bowl and blade. Add the sandwich cookies, slightly breaking them up as you add them. Add the freeze-dried strawberries. Process the mixture until it's a very fine, cohesive consistency. With the machine running, slowly stream in the melted butter. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
• For the filling: When the crust is frozen, scoop on half of the softened vanilla ice cream. Use a small offset spatula to smooth the ice cream into an even layer. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shortcake crumbs over the ice cream, slightly pressing in to adhere. Freeze for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, scoop on the softened strawberry ice cream. Use a small offset spatula to smooth the ice cream into an even layer. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shortcake crumbs over the ice cream, slightly pressing to adhere. Freeze for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, scoop on the remaining vanilla ice cream. Smooth with an offset spatula and top with the remaining shortcake crumbs. Freeze for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• To serve, run a knife or offset spatula around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the springform ring and slice the cake into wedges.

STRAWBERRY CRUNCH ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake mix as the label directs for a 9-by-13-inch cake. Bake and let cool 15 minutes in the pan on a rack, then transfer the cake to the rack to cool completely.
• Trim the domed top of the cake with a long serrated knife to make it level. Cut the cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers. Trim a 3/4-inch strip from each long side; reserve the strips and trimmings.
• Cut the carton off the ice cream and set the ice cream block on a cutting board. Slice lengthwise into thirds.
• Arrange the ice cream on the bottom layer of the cake. Let soften, then smooth with an offset spatula to cover the cake, leaving a 3/4-inch border on the long sides.
• Press 1 reserved strip of cake against each long side of the ice cream layer. Reserve the remaining 2 strips of cake. Place the second cake layer on top of the ice cream. Freeze 1 hour.
• Cut off a corner of the frozen cake to look like a bite. Remove the ice cream from the trimmed bite and reserve the cake trimmings. Return the cake to the freezer.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crumble the reserved cake strips and trimmings on a baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden, 10 minutes. Let cool, then crumble together with the freeze-dried strawberries.
• Finely crush 1 tablespoon of the strawberry-crumb mixture; combine with 1 tablespoon frosting to make it pink. Cover the whole cake with the remaining white frosting. Press the strawberry-crumb mixture into the frosting, without covering the bite or the opposite short side.
• Spread the pink frosting inside the bite. Add a line of crumb mixture at the bottom of the bite. Freeze until firm, at least 15 minutes. Insert a wooden spatula handle or large craft stick into the cake before serving.

SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease a 9x9 dish & set aside.
• In a large bowl, cut flour, sugar & butter together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/2 cup of this mixture.
• To the remaining butter mixture, add the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
• Pour into prepared dish & sprinkle topping over.
• Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Note #1: The edges of the cake may turn a light golden brown while baking, but the topping should not brown.
• Note #2: Double the ingredients to make a larger (9x13) cake.