Gingered Blackberry And Plum Shortcakes Recipes

PLUM, BLACKBERRY AND HAZELNUT SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 22- to 24-centimetre springform tin. For the filling, slice the plums in half and pit. Place the halves into a ceramic dish and toss with brown sugar and lemon juice. Allow to sit, cut-side down, for 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes or until the plums are just starting to collapse. Remove plums and set aside on kitchen paper. For the shortcake, mix the flour, cornflour, baking powder, hazelnut meal and cloves together. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until pale and light. Beat in the egg, then add the flour mix and thoroughly combine to a thick paste. Scoop two-thirds of the shortcake into the tin and press into the base and up the sides in the shape of a shallow basin. Place the plums on the dough, cut-side up, scatter over the blackberries, and dab pinches of the remaining shortcake over the top, leaving some of the fruit showing. Sprinkle some extra brown sugar and the hazelnuts on the shortcake blobs and bake for 30-40 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool a little before unmoulding and slicing.

GINGERED BLACKBERRY AND BLACK PLUM SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add 1 1/4 cups cream, and mix just until moistened.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface, and pat into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut 6 rounds (reuse scraps); transfer to a baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons cream, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine plums, blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Squeeze grated ginger over fruit, releasing juice; discard pulp. Toss gently to combine. Let sit at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Just before serving, in a large bowl, whip cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form.
• With a serrated knife, halve biscuits horizontally. Place bottom half of each biscuit, cut side up, on a serving plate; top with fruit, whipped cream, and biscuit tops.

GINGER STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Make the biscuits: Beat the cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar, grated ginger and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy; reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour and candied ginger until just incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap; press into a 1-inch-thick disk, tightly wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle, about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out rounds; arrange about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Reroll the scraps and cut out more biscuits (you should have 12). Brush the tops lightly with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the biscuits until slightly puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the toppings: Puree half of the strawberries in a blender with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the grated ginger until smooth; transfer to a bowl. Dice the remaining strawberries; add to the pureed berries and toss. Beat the sour cream, heavy cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a separate bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Serve each person 2 biscuits with the whipped cream and strawberry mixture. Photograph by Anna Williams

PLUM AND BLACK CHERRY BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKES WITH GINGER CARDAMOM WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• For the buttermilk shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Chill 2 large mixing bowls, a pastry cutter, the flour and cubed butter in the freezer for 15 minutes before assembling the shortcakes.
• Add the flour to one of the chilled mixing bowls. Working quickly, cut the butter into the flour using the chilled pastry cutter (or your fingers); the goal here is pea-size balls of butter. In batches, add the buttermilk until the dough is cohesive yet still moist. (You may not need all of it.) Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly press into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a 4-inch biscuit cutter or the business end of a dry measuring cup, cut out 8 biscuits.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Swirl the oil in the bottom of the skillet and gently arrange the biscuits in the skillet, making sure they are all nestled up against each other tightly.
• Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sanding sugar. Bake until the tops are just slightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• For the plums and cherries: Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the plums, cherries, granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice, ginger and cinnamon. Cook, stirring very gently as the fruit releases its juice, until the fruit is slightly soft, a few minutes. Take off the heat and add the butter. Gently stir until melted.
• For the ginger cardamom whipped cream: In the other cold bowl, mix together the cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cardamom and ginger. Beat to medium peaks.
• For assembly: Split a warm shortcake with a fork. Place the bottom on a plate or shallow bowl and spoon on some of the warm plum and cherry mixture. Dollop on some whipped cream and sprinkle with some candied walnuts. Top with the top of the shortcake. Spoon on some more of the warm plum and cherry mixture, dollop on more whipped cream and sprinkle with more candied walnuts. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 7 more.

LEMON SHORTCAKES WITH GINGERED BLUEBERRIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the lemon zest, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to quickly flatten each piece of butter into the flour mixture. The butter should be pliant but not melty. If it starts to get too soft, refrigerate the mixture for a few minutes before moving on.
• In another large bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup/120 milliliters heavy cream with the lemon juice and egg until combined. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened.
• Tip the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Work it a few times, just to get the mixture to come together, but don't overwork it. Pat the dough into a 5-inch square. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into two rectangles, then cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 pieces. Separate them on the parchment paper, slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
• Just before baking, brush the top of each shortcake with cream and sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one shortcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, smash 1/4 cup/35 grams of the blueberries. Add the remaining whole blueberries and crystallized ginger and toss to combine. Whip the cream to medium-stiff peaks with the confectioners' sugar, if using.
• To serve, split the shortcakes in half and top the bottom half with whipped cream and berries. Replace the top.

SPICED PLUM SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add half and half; stir just until dough forms. Gather dough into ball with floured hands. Gently knead 8 times against side of bowl. Roll out dough on floured surface to 3/4-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 5 biscuits; place on ungreased baking sheet. Gather dough and reroll as needed to make 1 more biscuit. Bake biscuits until pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. (Biscuits can be made 8 hours ahead; cool completely and store in airtight container at room temperature.)
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add plums and sugar. Cook until sugar dissolves and becomes syrupy and plums are just tender, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and ground ginger. Cool 5 minutes. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature; rewarm before serving.)
• Using electric mixer, beat cream in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add 2 teaspoons powdered sugar and beat to firm peaks. Fold in crystallized ginger.
• Cut biscuits in half; place bottom halves on 6 dessert plates. Top with warm plums, then cream. Cover with biscuit tops. Sift powdered sugar over.

PLUM BLUEBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch cake pan. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the prepared pan, combine 3 tablespoons margarine and brown sugar. Place pan inside the preheated oven until the margarine melts and begins to bubble. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the 1/3 cup margarine and 1 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated.
• Arrange plums around the edges of the prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Distribute the blueberries in the center. Pour batter into prepared pan, covering fruit completely. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.

GINGERED BLACKBERRY AND PLUM SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Make biscuits: Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add 1 1/4 cups cream, and mix just until moistened.
• Turn out dough onto a floured work surface, and gently pat into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Using a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 6 rounds (pat together scraps and cut out more rounds, if needed); transfer to a baking sheet. Brush tops with 2 tablespoons cream, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, combine plums, blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining pinch of salt. Place grated ginger in a fine sieve; hold over the bowl and press on ginger with a wooden spoon to release juice (discard solids). Toss gently to combine. Let sit at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Just before serving, use an electric mixer to whip remaining 1 cup cream and 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form.
• With a serrated knife, halve biscuits horizontally. Place bottom half of each biscuit on a serving plate; layer with fruit and whipped cream, then replace top halves. Serve immediately.