Shortcake

Fried Peach Shortcake tastes just as good as it sounds! Fresh summer peaches are sliced and skillet-fried in butter and spices, then sandwiched between tender wedges of shortcake.

Summer is slipping by too quickly! And it’s been too long since I last posted here. Fall projects are ramping up and have taken priority. But the good news is that I’ll have all kinds of delicious things to share with you this autumn. Although I look forward to all things fall baking, I’m still enjoying all the things summer gives us. A good peach crop is one of the best things about summer, if you ask me. This shortcake is a wonderful and simple way to use them. (Here’s another favorite.)
Nearly everybody knows about fried apples – but fried peaches? They are totally a thing! And, they might be even better than their well-known counterpart.

If you find yourself at the grocery store examining fresh peaches for this recipe, look for freestone peaches. The name says it all – the pits are easy to remove from the fruit.

This recipe takes about 6 cups of sliced peaches. I’d estimate this at about 8 medium-sized peaches. You could also use frozen peaches (thawed) if you have them on hand. However you slice them, have them prepped ahead of time and tossed with a tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent browning.

For the cake, whisk together the few dry ingredients called for, and then add heavy cream. Heavy cream has everything needed to bring this dough together. Namely, fat and flavor. Mix until you have a sticky dough.

Press the dough into an 8×8-inch pan. Wet your hands first, and the dough won’t stick to them. While the shortcake bakes, fry the peaches.

You’ll simply put all of the ingredients in the pan at once, stir, and then cook until the peaches are fork tender.

Mmmm. These are pretty darn perfect warm from the stove top. The fried peaches alone are a fine dessert. If you have a tablespoon of bourbon on hand, it wouldn’t hurt anything to add it right after you pull them off the heat.

Slice the cake into portions in the pan, or you could turn it out on a wire rack like I did. I always seem to ruin the first piece of cake getting it out of the pan, so this was better for me.

Cut twice in each direction with light sawing motions with a serrated knife for 9 servings.

To finish, split each cake and fill with fried peaches. Then spoon over more fried peaches. Shortcake wouldn’t be complete without a creamy element, so top each warm serving with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a mountain of freshly whipped cream.
I hope everyone has had a happy and safe summer so far! Let’s enjoy every last little bit of it.

Fried Peach Shortcake

Heather Baird

Fresh peaches are sliced and tossed with spices, brown sugar, and fried with butter in a skillet. Lightly sweet shortcake is the perfect foil for the sweet peach mixture, and it should all be served warm with a scoop of ice cream (or whipped cream) on top.Use ripe but firm peaches for this recipe. If the peaches are too soft they will cook down to a mushy consistency.

.wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #5A822B; }5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 10 minsCook Time 26 minsTotal Time 36 mins

Course DessertCuisine American, Southern United States

Servings 9

Equipment8×8 inch square pan
Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Shortcake2 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda2 tablespoons sugar1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt1 1/2 cups heavy creamFried peaches6 cups fresh peaches sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 8 medium)1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for garnish1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt1/2 cup light brown sugar tightly packed1/4 cup unsalted butterVanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions ShortcakePreheat the oven to 400°F. Coat an 8×8 square baking pan with flour-based baking spray (or grease and flour pan).In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add the heavy cream. Stir until thick, slightly sticky dough is formed.Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Tamp the sticky dough down using wet hands (so the dough won’t stick to them) or using a rubber spatula coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden, or when a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean. If the cake is done and still pale on top, place it under the broiler for 2 minutes or until golden.Gently turn the cake out from the pan to a wire rack to cool. The cake will be tender, so be careful not to break it. Slice the cake into 9 portions, cutting it twice in both directions. Use a serrated knife and light sawing motions for the neatest slices.Fried peachesPlace all of the fried peach ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir together. Set over medium heat and cook until the butter melts. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the peaches are fork tender and a syrupy sauce forms, about 6-8 minutes.AssembleSplit a shortcake piece horizontally and place on a serving plate or bowl. Add a big spoonful of fried peaches between the cakes. Top the cake with another spoonful of the warm peach mixture. Top with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if desired. Repeat with remaining peaches and cakes.
NotesFrozen peaches can be used for this recipe. Thaw and pour off the liquid before using.
2 tablespoons of peach schnapps will really improve the peach flavor if using frozen peaches. Add it right after you pull the fried peaches from the heat.
Bourbon would be a wonderful addition to this already southern dish. Like the schnapps, add it at the end of cooking the peaches.
Heartier servings can be made by cutting the cake once in on direction, and twice in the other to yield 6 larger servings.

Keyword brown sugar, cinnamon, fresh peaches, vanilla ice cream

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