Baketogether: Shortcakes

For the month of July Abby Dodge's #baketogether challenge was for shortcakes. I do love shortcakes in the summer, although truth be told I never seem to get around to making them. Even this month was proving to be a challenge for me. I had an idea a couple of weeks ago, then... enter procrastination. So here I am in the eleventh hour sharing what I did this month with you.

Many things happen to me when I'm pregnant. One of them is that frequently I will find myself awake in the dead of the night for no apparent reason. I think it's my body's way of prepping me for the midnight feedings that will be coming along with the arrival of the baby. Either way, one night a couple of weeks ago I opened my eyes in the middle of the night. With nothing better to do I decided to think over the baketogether challenge. Because that's what normal people do, I swear. I had a few ideas that I thought would work but the one I settled on was for a maple walnut shortcake with roasted plums, and a maple whipped cream.

These shortcakes come together easily. They are a great summer dessert that can be made in stages over a couple of days or thrown together in an afternoon. They were devoured with a chorus of "yummmmms". When I get that from everyone at the table I'm pretty sure I have a winning dessert on my hands. This was only confirmed by the dirty little fingers swiping up the crumbs on the plate.

Printable Version

Maple Walnut Shortcakes with Roasted Plums, and Maple Whipped Cream

Adapted from Abby Dodge's Double Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes

(Serves 8)

Ingredients for Maple Walnuts:

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (Grade B is best)
• pinch of salt

Ingredients for the Shortcakes:

• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, chilled
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (Grade B is best)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup of maple walnuts
• 2 tablespoons sanding sugar (turbando, demerara), optional

Ingredients for Maple Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup (Grade B is best)

Ingredients for Roasted Plums:

• 8 plums
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of rum

To make the Maple Walnuts:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl combine the walnuts, maple syrup, and salt. Spread out on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, tossing the walnuts halfway through.

3. Set aside to cool.

Note: These can be made a day ahead of time. You can also make extra and use them on salads. We love them that way.

To make the shortcakes:
1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a nonstick liner.

2. Cut the butter in half lengthwise, cut each half lengthwise again, and then cut each strip into 8 pieces. Pile the butter onto a plate and slide it into the freezer until ready to use. Measure the buttermilk in a 1-cup Pyrex measure and add the maple syrup and vanilla. Using a fork, whisk until blended and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Add the cold butter pieces and, using short pulses, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with small pieces of butter (about pea-sized) still visible, about 1 minute. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and add the maple walnuts.

4. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and, using a rubber spatula, stir and fold until it forms a shaggy, moist dough with some floury bits remaining. Scrape the dough and any remaining floury bits onto a floured counter and knead a few times until the dough is evenly moist and holds together well.

5. Gently press the dough into a thick 8 x 4 -inch rectangle. Using a large sharp knife, trim the edges to make a neat rectangle and cut into 8 equal squares.  Arrange the biscuits on the prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops with the sanding sugar, if using. Bake until puffed and spring back when the tops are gently pressed, 18 to 22 minutes. Move the sheet to a cooling rack and let the biscuits sit until they’re cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To make the Maple Whipped Cream:

1. In a medium bowl combine the cream and the maple syrup.. Using an electric mixer, beat until medium-firm peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 3 hours.

To make the Roasted Plums:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry the plums. Cut them in half and remove the pit. Then slice the plums. I cut them into eighths. 

2. In a medium bowl combine the plums, sugar, and rum. Toss until everything is well combined. Lay the plums out in a layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Set Aside to cool.

To serve:

Warm the biscuits if made ahead (a toaster oven set on “bake 300°F” is great for this). Using a serrated knife, cut the shortcakes in half crosswise and place the bottom halves on serving plates. Spoon some of the plums, including the juices, over the shortcake and top with a big dollop of the whipped cream, cover with the remaining biscuit lids. Serve immediately.