Celebrate the best of summer fruit paired with the iconic shortcake! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, stuffed with juicy butterscotchy peaches and bourbon whipped cream – this is the best mid-summer treat!

When a peach is good, it is great! Whether you’re slicing one into your sangria or baking up a cobbler, these succulent stone fruits make life better 🙂

Highly seasonal, you can only find a juicy ripe peach this time of year. Even if you are by miracle able to find peaches in the winter, they’ve traveled quite a long distance, and are typically dry, mealy and flavorless.

So treat yourself NOW, while they are moist and delicious.

And what better way to eat a peach than this? Roasted with brown sugar and butter, then dolloped with a fat blob of bourbon-flavored whipped cream, and nestled in the most addictive shortbread biscuit… I can’t think of any!

This is a dinner-party worthy dessert, but also firmly a “it’s Tuesday and I deserve it” comfort food treat. Cheers to summer!

How can I get ahead?

1. The shortbread biscuits can be frozen, unbaked. Let them thaw for 10-15 minutes before baking, and add 4-5 minutes to baking time.
2. The peaches can be roasted ahead of time. Let them cool in their baking dish, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm in a hot oven for 8-10 minutes before assembling.
3. Cream can be whipped a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.
4. Though always assemble the dessert just before serving.

Are there any substitutions?

• If you would rather not use bourbon, substitute pure vanilla extract.
• Either light or dark brown sugar will work.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, use whole milk and stir a tablespoon of lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes before incorporating.

Print Recipe

Buttermilk Shortcakes with Butterscotch Roasted Peaches & Cream

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Servings: 5

Ingredients

For the shortcakes

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoon sugar divided use
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
• ¾ cup buttermilk

For the peaches

• 3 large ripe peaches
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

To finish

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon or substitute vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking dish with a piece of parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon zest. Cut the butter into pieces and work it into the flour mixture with your hands, a pastry cutter, or use a food processor until it is mostly incorporated with some pea sized lumps.
• Stir in the buttermilk, and if the mixture is too dry add just a little bit more until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured board and pat into a 1” thick square. Cut into four pieces, stack them on top of each other, then press down, using your hands or a rolling pin to shape into a rectangle about 1” thick. Cut into 6 squares and place on your baking sheet, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Freeze for 10 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Remove and let cool slightly.
• While the shortcakes are chilling, make the peaches. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit (a melon baller helps if it does not come out easily, and also can be used to make nice cavities for the butter and sugar). Place the peaches in a parchment lined baking dish that can hold them in a single layer. Cut the 1 tablespoon of butter into 6 pieces, and place one piece in each of the 6 cavities of the peaches. Distribute the brown sugar equally among the peaches, 2 teaspoons per peach, and sprinkle the cinnamon over top (it is a small pinch of cinnamon per peach). Place in the 400 degree oven and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover with foil and continue to roast for another 15 minutes. They should be soft and caramelized at the end. Remove from the oven and let them cool down slightly.
• Make the whipped cream. In a stand mixer or using electric beaters, beat the cream and sugar until thickened. Add in the bourbon (or vanilla extract) and beat just to combine.
• Split the shortcakes in half and place one each onto dessert plates. Spoon a hefty dollop of whipped cream on the bottom half of the shortcakes, then top each one with a peach half, drizzling any extra sauce from the pan over the peaches. Place the tops of the shortcakes on the peaches, then serve immediately, passing extra whipped cream.

Tips & Tricks

*Shortcakes can be baked 2 hours ahead. Or you can freeze the dough, letting it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking, and bake off just before serving.

*Peaches and whipped cream can be made 4-6 hours ahead. Rewarm the peaches in a 250 F oven for 10 minutes before serving.

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