Plum Tahini Shortcakes Food

ROASTED PLUM SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• For the shortcake biscuits: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt. Whisk to combine and evenly distribute the leavening. Add the shortening and butter and toss to coat the fat just a bit with the flour. Using your fingertips, gently work the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with some pea-size chunks of fat.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, and add this to the flour mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon. Then, gently work through the mixture with your hands to separate any wet patches and bring the dough together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, fold it over a few times and knead gently until it just holds together. Pat the dough into a rough 1/2-inch-tall rectangle. Cut out biscuits with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Pat the scraps together and cut an additional biscuit. You should have 6 to 8 biscuits. Evenly space the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Set aside.
• For the roasted plums: Pour the butter into a shallow baking dish and tip from side to side to coat the bottom. Add the maple syrup and orange juice, swirling to "stir" the mixture. Line the baking dish with the plums, flesh-side down.
• Bake both the biscuits and plums for about 20 minutes. Remove the biscuits when golden brown. Continue to cook the plums until the juices have thickened, about another 15 minutes. Cool completely before assembling.
• For the whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until medium peaks form.
• To assemble: Split four of the biscuits horizontally in half; reserve the remaining biscuits for another use (see Cook's Note). Place the bottom of each biscuit on a serving plate. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream, followed by a few plum slices and their juices. Top with the biscuit tops.

ROASTED PLUMS WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the fruit, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season well with the salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle the fruit with all but a pinch of the fresh herbs. Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 250°F. Roast until the fruit is very soft and juicy and starting to caramelize, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, turn off the oven after 1 hour and leave the fruit in the oven overnight. This will produce a more leathery result. Either way is good!)
• In a medium bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the tahini, 3/4 cup water, salt, and the ice cube. Whisk vigorously until the mixture comes together. It should lighten in color and thicken enough that it holds an edge when the whisk is dragged through it.
• Remove the ice cube if any remains unmelted and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice and salt until the sauce is addictive-you will know. Scrape the sauce into a shallow serving dish and hide it from the eaters in your house until ready to serve.
• Layer a plate with the roasted fruit, then drizzle with the tahini dressing. Sprinkle with the reserved fresh thyme or oregano and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

WONTON PLUM SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in the butter warmer or saucepan.
• Halve and pit each plum, and slice each half into 6 wedges. Place the wedges, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the ginger in one of the bowls and toss to combine.
• Brush both sides of each wonton wrapper with a little melted butter. Place on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Bake until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Watch them carefully; after they brown, they will burn quickly.
• Combine the heavy cream, vanilla, and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in the other bowl and whip with the mixer until soft peaks form.
• To assemble the dessert, place 1 wonton on each of the dessert plates. Place 3 plum slices on top of each wonton, and top with a dollop of the whipped cream. Lay the remaining 4 wontons on top of each pile of fruit and cream, and place 3 plum slices and a dollop of whipped cream on the second wonton. Serve immediately.

PEACH-MANGO SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Make the shortcakes: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a food processor. Pulse in the butter until it is in pea-size pieces, then pulse in the heavy cream and egg until the dough comes together.
• Bake the shortcakes: Drop 6 scoops of dough onto a baking sheet, brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, then split in half.
• Make the filling: Toss the peaches and mango with the granulated sugar and lime juice. Beat the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form; fold in the rum and vanilla. Fill the shortcakes with the fruit and whipped cream.

TINY TIM'S PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Generously grease an 8-cup pudding mold, metal gelatin mold or ovenproof bowl; set aside., In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mix bread crumbs, flour, orange zest, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in plums, dates, raisins, carrots and currants., Transfer to prepared pudding mold. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil; tie foil with kitchen string to secure., Place on a rack in a stockpot; add 3 in. hot water to pot. Bring water to a gentle boil; steam cake, covered, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 2 to 2-1/2 hours, adding more water to pot as needed. Remove pudding from pot; let stand 5 minutes before unmolding., Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat hard sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy. Unmold pudding onto a serving plate; serve warm with sauce.

PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a 2 quart baking dish, stir together plums, 1 cup sugar, water, tapioca and cinnamon. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. (You can also cook the plum mixture in the microwave for 15 minutes.)
• Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, stir together baking mix, 3 tablespoons sugar, milk and melted margarine to form a biscuit dough. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto plum mixture. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

OATMEAL SHORTCAKES WITH SPICED PLUMS

Steps:

• Make shortcakes:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk; stir until dough forms.
• Drop dough onto prepared baking sheet, forming six 2 1/2-inch-diameter biscuits and spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake until biscuits are golden and tester inserted into biscuit comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to rack. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• Make fruit:
• Combine plums, 1/3 cup sugar, lemon juice, ginger and cinnamon in heavy medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until plums release their juices but are still firm, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add butter. Stir until butter melts. Cool slightly.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream and powdered sugar in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Using serrated knife, slice off top 1/3 of biscuits. Transfer biscuit bottoms to plates. Spoon half of plum mixture over biscuits. Spoon whipped cream atop plum mixture. Spoon remaining plum mixture atop cream, dividing equally. Place biscuit tops over plum mixture. Serve immediately.