Warm Pear Shortcakes With Brandied Cream Recipes

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.

GINGER PEAR SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together Bisquick mix, granulated sugar, milk and molasses until soft dough forms.
• On lightly floured surface, knead dough 3 to 4 times. Pat dough to 1/4-inch thickness; cut out 12 biscuits with 2 3/4-inch round biscuit cutter. Place on cookie sheet. In small bowl, mix walnuts, ginger, melted butter, cinnamon and cloves. Pat mixture on biscuit tops.
• Bake 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely.
• In large bowl, toss pears and lemon juice. In 12-inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add pear mixture; stir to coat with butter. Cook 2 minutes; sprinkle with brown sugar. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pears are soft and sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt.
• To serve, split biscuits in half. Place biscuit bottoms on dessert plates; top with pear mixture and whipped cream. Replace biscuit tops.

BRANDIED PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with water and lemon juice together in an ungreased baking dish until sugar is dissolved. Arrange pear halves, core side down, in the dish, and baste with the sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake pears in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until fork-tender but not mushy.
• Meanwhile, mix nuts together with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons brandy, and the yogurt; set aside. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle in white sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons of brandy, or liqueur of choice, and gently whip a few strokes more.
• To serve, place one pear half in the center of each serving plate and fill core cavity with nut stuffing. Top with whipped cream. Serve warm.

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.

BRANDIED PEAR BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Spray a 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut pear slices in half and add to dish with bread cubes. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, brandy, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs.
• Slowly whisk in butter, then pour over bread and pears, tossing lightly to coat bread with egg mixture. Sprinkle with pecans and let stand for about 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• Place baking dish in a larger, shallow baking dish and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the smaller dish. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove both pans from oven, remove baking dish from water bath and let cool slightly. Serve warm with Brandy Cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
• Brandy Cream:.
• Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar in a medium chilled mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoons brandy and beat until stiff peaks form.

WARM PEACH SHORTCAKES WITH BOURBON-BROWN SUGAR CREAM

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Add butter and shortening and rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Whisk buttermilk and 1 egg to blend in small bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir until moist clumps form. Gather dough together; turn out onto floured work surface and knead gently just until dough holds together, about 5 turns (dough will be moist). Pat dough into 9x6-inch rectangle; cut into six 3-inch squares. Transfer squares to heavy ungreased baking sheet, spacing apart. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)
• Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy. Add pecans and stir to blend. Spread pecan mixture over top of biscuits, dividing equally. Sprinkle squares with remaining 3 teaspoons sugar. Bake biscuits until puffed and light golden, about 18 minutes. Cool biscuits 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat whipping cream, brown sugar, and bourbon in medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Using serrated knife, cut warm biscuits horizontally in half. Place 1 bottom half on each of 6 plates. Top with Brown Sugar Peaches. Spoon generous dollop of bourbon whipped cream atop each. Cover with biscuit tops. Garnish each with dollop of bourbon whipped cream and 1 strawberry; serve immediately.

SUMMER FRUIT SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture; pour in the buttermilk and milk, and mix just until the dough gathers together. Do not overwork. Cover the bowl, and allow dough to rest 10 to 15 minutes. Roll or pat the dough into 6 rounds, each about 3 inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Place on a rack and cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine the blueberries, apricots, and cherries in a bowl. Toss to blend and set aside.
• Beat the whipping cream in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Stir in 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Split the shortcakes in half and place the bottom halves on 6 serving plates. Spoon whipped cream over each half, top with fruit, and place a shortcake top on each. Dust tops with remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar.