Irene Jackson, or Aunt Rene, as I called her, was an alluring figure. Aunt Rene could make desserts that would rival my granny’s, although I’d never say as much, one being the most delightful shortcakes that tasted like a combination of a biscuit and cake filled with some type of fruit and topped with whipped cream. While hers were sliced like a cake, they still had the texture of a creamy biscuit. Here I’ve invoked the spirit of my Aunt Rene’s fruit-filled shortcake with a basic cream biscuit folded over roasted peaches flavored with honey and a little bit of cardamom.
Honey Roasted Peach Biscuits
This is one of the simplest ways to make biscuits from scratch; you can skip the peaches and use any fruit to transform it into an incredible variety of shortcake-style biscuits. Add a dollop of whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy.
Ingredients
- 8 peaches (about 2 pounds), peeled and chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 cups (455 grams) self-rising flour, plus extra for folding and cutting
- 2-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, cold
- 1 large egg
- 2 to 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the peaches in a large bowl and toss well with the lemon juice. Add the honey, brown sugar, and cardamom and toss to combine. Transfer the peach mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until the peaches are tender, 25 to 30 minutes, turning them over halfway through roasting. Let cool completely.
- Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
- Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add 2¼ cups of the heavy cream and stir gently with a spatula until the dough forms into a ball and no dry bits of flour are visible. The dough will be shaggy and sticky.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly dust with flour. With floured hands, pat the dough into a ½-inch-thick 11 × 6-inch rectangle. Fold the ends of the rectangle toward the center, one end on top of the other, to create a trifold. Dust the top lightly with flour and pat out again to a ¼-inch-thick, 20- to 22-inch-long rectangle.
- Using a slotted spoon, spoon the cooled peaches over half the length of the rectangle. Fold the other half of the dough over the top of the peaches. Pinch all around to seal the peaches in the dough. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut straight down to create 12 to 14 biscuits. Gently place the biscuits 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Whisk the egg and the remaining tablespoon of heavy cream in a small bowl. Gently brush the tops of each biscuit with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with the turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Still We Rise by Erika Council, copyright © 2023. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Photographs by Andrew Thomas Lee.