Summer Peach Shortcakes Food

PEACH SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butter or line a baking sheet.
• Bake the biscuits for 13 to 15 minutes (add 3 to 4 additional minutes for frozen ones), until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve warm.
• While biscuits are baking, place the peaches or nectarines in a bowl with the orange juice and Triple Sec, if using. Stir and let sit for a while, stirring occasionally.
• If the biscuits aren't straight from the oven, heat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Slice open and butter the top side of each biscuit. Place each bottom on a plate. Place 2 small scoops of the ice cream onto each biscuit. Top with a large spoonful of fruit. Drizzle over some juice and top with other buttered half. If using whipped cream, place peaches on the biscuit first. Serve immediately.

PEACH SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• For the marinated peaches: Mix together the granulated sugar, orange liqueur, basil and orange zest in a bowl. Add the peaches and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• For the sweet biscuits: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until it is incorporated. Mix the buttermilk and vanilla together in a small pitcher. Slowly add the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring the contents of the bowl as you do so, until just combined.
• Form 6 biscuits and place them into a cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar. Bake until golden brown, 24 to 26 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• For the whipped cream: Using an electric mixer, whisk together the heavy cream and granulated sugar until soft peaks form.
• To serve, halve the biscuits, then place the bottom halves on serving plates. Top with the whipped cream and marinated peaches. Rest the biscuit tops on the side so the filling is visible. Garnish with torn basil.

SUMMER PEACH SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• For the peaches: Make a longitudinal slice around the peach where the peach is naturally divided and twist the two halves apart. Slice as you desire. I like a half inch dice, but thin slices would also work. Combine the cut up peaches in a bowl with the sugar, half the lime zest, lime juice, and orange liqueur. Allow the fruit to macerate at room temperature until ready to serve. For the shortcake: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the flour, sugar, the other half of the lime zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse five or six times to mix the ingredients. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 15 times until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the buttermilk OR yogurt and process until the dough comes together loosely. Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat the dough out to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut out the shortcakes with a three inch round biscuit cutter (I just use a clean soup can with both top and bottom removed) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half an hour. When ready to bake, crack an egg into a small bowl and pour out about half (but not all!) of the egg white. Mix the egg with a fork and then brush the tops of the shortcakes with the egg wash. Drizzle a pinch of both sugar AND salt on top of each shortcake. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 to 14 minutes until golden brown on top. To serve: Let the shortcakes cool slightly and then cut in half. Place a generous spoonful of peaches with their juices on the bottom half of the shortcake and top with a spoonful of whipped cream. Place some additional peaches with their juices on top of the cream and place the top half of the shortcake on top of that. Serve with additional whipped cream and peaches to pass.

PEACH SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice peaches; sprinkle with kirsch or schnapps, if desired, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the rest of the dry ingredients. Add butter; process with on-off pulses until mixture resembles coarse meal. While pulsing, slowly add enough cream or milk until dough just comes together.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board, and knead once or twice. Pat into a 3/4-inch-thick square. Trim edges, and cut into four squares. Brush with additional cream or milk; sprinkle with sugar.
• Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet; bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire rack, and allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream: In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form; set aside. Split cakes horizontally. Place bottom halves on dessert plates, and top with peaches and vanilla whipped cream. Cover with top halves of shortcakes, and serve.

FRESH PEACH SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Position oven rack in lower one-third of the oven.
• Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
• In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, WHISK together eggs, half and half cream, 6 Tbsp butter, lemon zest and vanilla until combined (butter will stay lumpy).
• Stir in 1 cup sugar until combined.
• Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined.
• Pour the batter into prepared baking pan.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until cake is light golden, and tests done.
• Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.
• Remove from pan; cool completely on a rack.
• In a large non-stick skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat.
• Add the peaches, cardamon, remaining sugar, ginger and nutmeg; cook, stirring often until slightly softened (about 5-7 minutes).
• Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate until cooled (about 15-20 minutes).
• In a bowl, beat the whipping cream with the 2 tbsp icing sugar until stiff peaks form.
• To assemble the cake: cut cake into 9 squares.
• Cut each square in half horizontally.
• Top each cake bottom with about 1-1/2 Tbsp whipped cream, and 4 peach wedges.
• Pour some pan juices over.
• Place the cake top over, and garnish each with about 1-1/2 Tbsp whipped cream.