Pretty as a Peach Shortcakes (Gluten-Free)

 

Who loves fresh peaches on hot summer days? Who loves strawberry shortcake? How about if we merge the two? Here is my take with Pretty as a Peach Shortcakes, THE dessert of the summer! This has all the flavor of summer in every single bite!

When I heard the theme for this month’s #ProgressiveEats, Summer Bounty, I immediately thought of something savory because there are so many beautiful vegetables at the market right now. But that is what I normally do so I thought it would be fun to create and share a new sweet treat. And there is nothing I love more than the stone fruits of summer!

You could make these shortcakes with any of the stone fruits – nectarines, apricots, plums, pluots, cherries, etc. or berries. Or any combination.  Heck, keep the peaches and just add blueberries and raspberries on top. Anything goes with this dessert! And if it isn’t summertime, use frozen peaches (thawed) or other fruit you love. The sky’s the limit!

You’ll notice that mine are pretty dark. I love a crunchy texture as a counterpoint to the soft fruit and luscious cream. This time I got them too thin and they wound up darker than I was planning on, but boy oh boy were they good! They held their crunch the entire time, even with extra juice from the fruit poured over the top!

I didn’t have any rum on hand so I used a splash of bourbon this time and jeez was it good! There is something so food-friendly about bourbon. If you are making this for someone with celiac or who is highly reactive to gluten, you’ll be safer with white rum or potato vodka mixed with 1 tsp brown sugar.

For the whipped cream, please try making your own from scratch. One taste and you won’t go back no matter how convenient pre-made is. By using your mixer you completely control the ingredients, quality, and flavors of your whipped cream. It is so satisfying, you will wind up using less, saving you calories!

To add interest to the overall appearance, I used a combination of white and yellow peaches, cubing cubed some, and cut slices of the other. You don’t need to worry about this, but it does make a pretty picture doesn’t it. 

Welcome to another edition of Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party where each course is held at a different home. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. This month we’re featuring Summer Bounty hosted by Laura Kumin of Mother Would Know. We are featuring fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits associated with summer in a menu we know you will love!

This group of incredibly talented bloggers has come up with nine more spectacular recipes utilizing the bounty of the farmers’ markets. Be sure you check out all the recipes below – you won’t want to miss any of them!

I hope you make these Pretty as a Peach Shortcakes while the fruit is at its peak and full of flavor. I love this alternative to using strawberries and hope you do too!

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you back here next week for Chocolate Monday!

If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!

 

Ingredients needed for Pretty as a Peach Shortcakes:

• Peaches: ripe peaches, granulated or vanilla sugar, rum or bourbon, optional
• Shortcakes: GF flour blend or regular all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cold butter, egg, cream, lemon zest, melted butter, coarse sugar
• Toppings: cream, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, mint sprigs

 

PRO Tip: How to Peel a Peach

Depending on how ripe your peaches are, there are few different easy ways to peel them. If they are not ripe yet, cut an “X” on the bottom of each peach. Place in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to scoop peaches into a bowl of ice water. When cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to peel off the skin in sections.

With ripe peaches you can use the same technique but you can probably just pinch the skin and pull it away from the flesh. If you want to avoid the boiling water and the peaches are very ripe, cut lines in the skin, moving from the top to the bottom, dividing the skin into quarters. Pull each section away from the flesh and trim off any skin that won’t release easily.

 

PRO Tip: What is Coarse Sugar

Coarse or raw sugar comes in several forms and any will work in this recipe. It can be called Demerara, Turbinado, or raw sugar. Basically any coarse sugar will work to add a lovely sweet touch and crunchy topping.

 

How to make Pretty as a Peach Shortcakes:

1. Prep the Peaches: Peel the peaches and remove the pits. Cut some into cubes and some into slices. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar; add the alcohol if using, toss until evenly coated, cover, and refrigerate to macerate and release the juices.
2. For the Shortcakes: Add the dry ingredients to a food processor bowl and pulse a few times to blend. Add half the butter and pulse to cut into the dry ingredients. Add remaining butter and pulse 3 to 6 times until there are some fairly large pieces of butter and the rest is crumbly.
3. In your stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the egg and lemon zest and mix until evenly blended with no streaks, about 1 minute. Scoop the cream into the food processor and pulse just until the dough comes together and starts to form a ball or clings to the side of the bowl.
4. Transfer to a floured board (use lots of GF flour as needed!) and gently press together. If really soft, chill in the refrigerator a few minutes before continuing. Pat into a 16-inch (41 cm) square then cut into 6 (4-inch; 10 cm) squares. You can use a round biscuit cutter if you prefer. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet leaving room for spreading.
5. Bake the Shortcakes: Brush each piece of dough with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place the baking sheet in a preheated 400°F (204°C) oven and reduce the heat to 375°F (191°C). Bake about 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.
6. Make the Topping: Whip the cream until thickened, the mix in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat until medium peaks form.
7. To Serve: Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and place bottom halves on plates, Add some chopped peaches, a dollop of whipped cream, some more peaches, then set the top of the biscuit at an angle. Add another dollop of cream and a slice or two of peaches. Tuck in a sprig of mint and serve.

 

PRO Tip:

One of my secret weapons in the kitchen is vanilla sugar. That is sugar that has ground up vanilla beans and pods in it. It is a delightful way to add layers of flavor throughout your baked goods. In this recipe I used it in both the peaches and the shortcakes. You can use regular granulated sugar in its place. 

 

PRO Tip:

When I tell you to pat the dough into a square, listen to what I say, don’t do what I did. This batch was more challenging because it was over 100-degrees where I was baking. The dough got very soft and difficult to work with. It wound up spreading much thinner than normal and was very sticky. If this happens to you, put the dough onto the floured baking sheet, and chill before cutting and moving the dough around! You can use more flour than usual if needed (gluten-free flour if needed).

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Kitchen Scale
• Paring knife
• Parchment paper sheets
• Food processor
• Stand mixer or hand mixer

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

*You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

Use a gluten-free flour blend for best results, but you could also use a single GF flour such as rice, sorghum, or millet. You could also use almond flour for half of the total flour. It would add texture and flavor.

You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.

** The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. But some distillers may use caramel coloring or flavorings which sometimes contain gluten. For some very sensitive people this may cause issues. If you are making this for a very reactive person, or if they have Celiac disease, you can use potato vodka mixed with two teaspoons brown sugar in place of the rum or bourbon called for.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

 

 

 

 

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