Sometimes it's easy to spend lots of time staging a photo and making my food look glamorous, and sometimes... dessert has to be eaten ASAP. I promise, this recipe is delicious on a warm, summer night and can be cooked quickly while your grilling coals slowly cool. Top it off with some cream if you like.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 1 cup half and half or buttermilk
- Melted butter to brush shortcakes
- 3 peaches, sliced into eighths
- Canola oil, for brushing
- 1/4 cup brown, demerra or turbinado sugar
- Sweetened or plain whipped cream, if desired
Preheat a gas grill or start a charcoal grill and heat with the lid closed. Alternately, heat a two-burner grill pan over medium-high heat on your kitchen stove. Brush well with canola oil. To prepare the shortcakes in the oven, preheat oven to 400 F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening. Mix in half-and-half or buttermilk. Do not over mix. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a piece of foil. If using oven method, drop spoonfuls directly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the cake is 180 F. Turn the cakes once, if baking on grill pan. Remove from heat and let cool.
Lightly brush the peaches on each side with canola oil. Grill each slice on both sides and remove to a bowl. Toss immediately with sugar. Split cakes in half through the center when they are cool enough to handle. Place bottom of each cake on serving plate, top with some peach slices, top with second half of cake, add more peaches and finish with cream if desired. Serves 14.
