⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
CAKES: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk; stir just until dough forms.
Divide dough into 6 equal portions; form six 2½-inch-diameter biscuits. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to rack.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature.
PLUMS: Combine plums, 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 melted. Cool slightly.
Using electric mixer, beat cream and powdered sugar in large bowl until peaks form. Using serrated knife, slice off top ⅓ of biscuits. Transfer biscuit bottoms to each of 6 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 and serve immediately.
Traditionally, shortcakes are filled with sweetened, uncooked fresh fruit, so the oven-roasted pears and cranberries in this recipe break some rules. If you don’t have a 2¾-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, use a sharp knife to cut out six square shortcakes. Makes 6
Pears
4 firm but ripe Anjou or Bosc pears (about 1¾ pounds), peeled, halved, cored, each half cut into 6 wedges
½ cup apricot preserves
6 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ tablespoons water
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
Cakes
1¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
6 tablespoons chilled buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten to blend
Whipped Cream
1¼ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
PEARS: Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine pears, preserves, sugar, lemon juice, 1½ tablespoons water, and cinnamon in 13×9×2-inch glass baking dish; toss to coat. Cover dish with foil and roast until pears are tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Uncover. Mix in cranberries and continue baking until cranberries are tender but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.
CAKES: Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Blend flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until butter is cut into pea-size pieces. Add buttermilk; using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Pat out dough on floured surface to scant ¾-inch thickness. Using 2¾-inch-diameter cutter, cut out 4 rounds. Gather dough scraps; pat out to scant ¾-inch thickness. Cut out 2 more rounds.
Arrange rounds on prepared sheet; brush with beaten egg. Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
WHIPPED CREAM: Beat cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl until peaks form.
Using serrated knife, cut cakes horizontally in half. Place bottoms on each of 6 plates. Top with pear mixture. Spoon whipped cream over, cover with cake tops, and serve.
More to TryThe cornmeal adds good texture to the shortcakes—they’re like rich, fluffy cornbread biscuits with a bit of crunch, and would be delicious with just butter and honey. The roasted pear mixture can stand equally well on its own; try it warm with vanilla ice cream.
In the classic French dessert, the “sea” is a lovely vanilla custard sauce and the “islands” are soft, poached meringues. Here, the meringues are baked, forming a light crust for added texture and delicate, golden wisps of color. The traditional vanilla sauce is dressed up with a little lemon and the dessert is garnished with fresh raspberries. 6 servings
Sauce
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup whole milk
6 large egg yolks
⅓ cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
Meringues
½ cup egg whites (about 4 large), room temperature Pinch of salt
⅔ cup sugar
6 paper-thin lemon slices
2 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries
SAUCE: Bring cream and milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Using whisk, beat egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl until light, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Pour custard into another medium bowl. Stir in lemon juice and lemon peel. Cool slightly, then chill uncovered until cold.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
MERINGUES: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter six ¾-cup soufflé dishes, then sprinkle with sugar. Place dishes on baking sheet. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in ⅔ cup sugar. Continue beating until meringue is stiff and glossy; divide among prepared soufflé dishes, mounding slightly.
Bake until meringues puff and begin to brown slightly on top and tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, at least 20 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature (meringues will deflate).
Divide custard sauce among 6 shallow soup bowls. Carefully run small sharp knife around edges of meringues to loosen, if necessary. Invert meringues, then turn top side up and place atop sauce. Garnish with lemon slices and sprinkle with raspberries.
Plums spiced with cardamom give these individual Pavlovas a nice spin. Crème fraîche is available at most supermarkets and is easy to find at specialty food stores, but if you prefer to make your own, see page 36. Makes 6
Plums
1½ pounds plums, halved, pitted, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cardamom