Peach Shortcakes

"An apple is an excellent thing - until you have tried a peach."

This is one of my new favorite desserts.  The biscuits are close to perfection: dense and extremely moist, with just a touch of sweetness.  Peaches, both sliced and mashed, mingle perfectly with the light and airy whipped cream.  To break from the usual cake, cookie, pie routine, these shortcakes are fabulous.

2 pounds peaches
9 tablespoons sugar (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons orange juice
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (14 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup buttermilk, cold
1 extra large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Choose peaches, about 5 large ones should form 2 pounds, that are ripe but also firm.

Peel the peaches and if possible, cut them in half down the natural groove.  This will work for older peaches, but not young ones.

Slice the peaches thinly.  I really mangled one peach before finding an easy way to do this: make incisions from the exterior of the fruit to the seed, about 1/2-inch apart.  Insert your (clean) fingers between the slices and gently separate them from the pit.

Place the inevitable mushed peaches and imperfect slices into one bowl, leaving 3/4 of the peaches in another bowl.

To the larger bowl, add 4 tablespoons sugar, toss well, and let stand for 30 minutes.

To the smaller bowl, add 2 tablespoons sugar and the orange juice.  Mix well and microwave for 1.5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Using a potato masher, crush the cooked peaches into a chunky pulp and leave to cool.  The mixture will be watery at first, but will thicken.

Melt the butter until liquid, then leave to cool until just warm.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar, then place in the bowl of a standing mixer.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg.  Add melted butter, and don't be surprised when it clumps and curdles unattractively.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture.  Once it has all been added, increase speed to medium and mix for 30 seconds.  This extra mixing time gives the biscuits their fantastic denseness which serves to absorb the peach syrup without becoming soggy.  I really can't stand soggy bread!

The dough will be rather sticky when finished.

Lightly coat a 1/3 cup measure with cooking spray.  Use it to scoop out 6 biscuits from the dough; the amount should be perfect.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over the biscuits.

Bake at 475 degrees for 13-15 minutes.  Be sure to watch the biscuits during the last few minutes in the oven.  They will quickly go from golden brown to black and burnt.  Leave on a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.

While the biscuits cool, mix up a basic whipped cream: whisk together heavy cream, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon sugar on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Don't walk away from the mixer, or it can overwhip into butter.

To assemble the shortcakes, split a biscuit in half and add a generous amount of the peach mash.  The syrup will sink into the biscuit, but will not make it soggy.  Trust me.

Add a layer of the sweetened sliced peaches along with their juice.

Finally add some whipped cream and cap with the other half of the biscuit.  So delicious!