Spiced Shortcakes With Sauteed Pears Recipes

SOUTHERN PEACH SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet and set aside. Reserve remaining butter.
• Combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup cold butter with a pastry knife until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in milk and stir just until the dough starts to come together.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Divide ball in half and lightly knead each half. Gently roll each half into a 9-inch circle.
• Place 1 dough circle into the prepared skillet, and dot with reserved butter. Place second dough circle on top of the butter pieces, and place the skillet in the center of the preheated oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is lightly browned, 22 to 25 minutes.
• While the shortcake is baking, prepare peaches. Slice 1 peach, toss with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and set aside. Chop the remaining peaches, yielding about 4 cups, and toss with remaining lemon juice.
• Turn shortcake out onto a rack to slightly cool, about 5 minutes. Slice in half crosswise, using the edge of the second layer as a guide. Place bottom half on a serving plate, cut side up.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup white sugar on a plate and lightly mash 2 cups of peaches into the sugar. Spread out mashed peaches and sugar over the shortcake layer on the serving plate. Cover mashed peaches with the second shortcake layer, cut side up.
• Toss remaining chopped peaches with remaining sugar and distribute on top of the second layer. Toss peach slices in any remaining juice, and place in a decorative pattern on top of the shortcake.

GLAZED PEAR SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• In a small cast-iron skillet, saute pears in butter until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in spreadable fruit. , Place cake slices on 4 dessert dishes; top with pear mixture, walnuts and whipped topping.

MOM'S SPICED PEAR BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 8x5x3-inch loaf pans.
• Combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine pears, brown sugar, raisins, vegetable oil, white sugar, apple cider, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl; blend well. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour batter evenly into the prepared loaf pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Cool in the loaf pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

SPICED SHORTCAKES WITH MINTED PEACHES

Steps:

• Make filling: In a small saucepan of boiling water blanch peach 1 minute and drain. Peel and pit peach and slice thin. In a small bowl toss peach slices with sugar, mint, and lemon juice.
• Make shortcakes: Preheat oven to 425°F.
• In a small bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch salt. Add cream and stir with a fork until mixture just forms a dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands pat into a 6- by 3-inch rectangle. With a sharp knife trim edges and halve dough crosswise to form two 3-inch squares.
• Arrange dough squares 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. (Squares will spread more than they will rise.) Transfer shortcakes to a rack and cool 10 minutes.
• Make whipped cream: In a small bowl with an egg beater or electric mixer beat cream with sugar until it just holds soft peaks and beat in vanilla.
• Split shortcakes with a serrated knife and put a bottom half on each of 2 plates. Top with peaches and any liquid, whipped cream, and shortcake tops.

SPICED PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Pour melted butter into a 9-in. square baking pan; sprinkle with nuts and brown sugar. Arrange pears over nuts., In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition., Spread batter over pears. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

WARM PEAR SHORTCAKES WITH BRANDIED CREAM

Steps:

• Make biscuits:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift both flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into large bowl. Add butter. Rub in with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir to blend. Gather dough into ball.
• Gently knead dough on floured surface until dough holds together. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Using 3-inch-diameter star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out biscuits. Gather dough scraps, reroll and cut out additional biscuits, making total of 24. Arrange biscuits on 2 baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
• Brush tops of biscuits with egg. Bake until biscuits puff and are light golden, about 12 minutes. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in foil. Reheat foil-wrapped biscuits in 350°F. oven about 10 minutes before using.)
• Make pears:
• Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pear mixture and sauté until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Remove pear mixture from heat. Add whipping cream and brown sugar, then pear brandy. Bring mixture to boil. Cook until pears are tender and sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Divide pear mixture among 12 bowls. Top with warm biscuits and serve.

SPICED SHORTCAKES WITH SAUTEED PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
• Cut in 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until butter pieces are pea-sized.
• Add milk and 1/4 cup water; stir just until moist.
• Drop dough by level 1/4 cup measures 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
• Flatten dough to 1/2-inch thickness using lightly floured hands. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white.
• Brush egg white mixture over dough; sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
• To prepare filling, combine pears and lemon juice; toss to coat.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pear mixture; sauté 2 minutes.
• Stir in 3 tablespoons brown sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
• Split each shortcake in half horizontally using a serrated knife. Spoon about 1/3 cup pear mixture over bottom half of each shortcake; top each serving with top of shortcake and 1/4 cup yogurt.