Back to the Cutting Board

Spiced Apple and Pear Shortcakes

from Back to the Cutting Board

The scones taste best on the day they’re baked, but the spiced fruit can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated. The whipped cream can also be made ahead of time and chilled in the fridge.

Dessert | Servings: 8
Total time: 10 min

Ingredients

• Apple-Oat Scones ^[1] (recipe below)
• Spiced Winter Fruit and Sauce ^[2]* (recipe below)
• Cinnamon Whipped Cream ^[3] (recipe below)

*The fruit mixture can be served warm or at room temperature. However, if it’s warm the whipped cream will start to melt, this doesn’t affect the taste but it will affect the presentation. The sauce from the fruit mixture is easier to drizzle when it’s warm so if you want to serve the fruit at room temp, the easiest way would be to use a slotted spoon to transfer the fruit to bowl to cool. Leave some sauce in the pan so that you can warm it up when it’s time to drizzle it on top of the shortcakes.

Process

1. Lay out plates for each person you are serving and place two scones on each.
2. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the fruit mixture on top of one scone on each plate.
3. Top the fruit with a heaping spoonful (or two) of cinnamon whipped cream.
4. Cover with the other scone on each plate (make sure the apple side is facing up) and gently press down. Drizzle some of the sauce from the fruit mixture on top. Serve.

Apple-Oat Scones

adapted from Midwest Living ^[4]

Breakfast | Servings: 16
Prep time: 35 min | Cook time: 15 min | Total time: 55 min

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour* (or twice sifted whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon**
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup grated tart apple, such as Braeburn, Jonagold or Jonathan***
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream****
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream****
• 16 thin slices of unpeeled apple, such as Braeburn, Jonagold or Jonathan
• Demerara or course sugar (regular sugar is fine if you don’t have course sugar)

*The original recipe uses AP flour so use that instead of the whole wheat if you want yours to rise a bit more.

**Make apple pie spice by combining 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. cardamom.

***I used the largest size hole on my cheese grater. You could cut the apples up very finely if you want, but I found grating to be much easier and faster.

***If you’re looking to cut calories you can sub half and half for the heavy cream, but the texture of the scones won’t be quite as light/soft.

Optional: Spiced Maple Butter

• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon

Process

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt.
3. Use a pastry blender to cut in the pieces of cold butter until the mixture resembled course crumbs. You can also do this with a food processor if you want.
4. Stir in the grated apple.
5. Whisk the eggs and heavy cream in small bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Stir with a fork until just moistened. The dough will be thick.
6. Use a ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the dough into mounds and place on the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Don’t flatten.
7. Stir together the egg yolk and 1 tbsp. heavy cream in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the cream mixture on top of the dough mounds.

8. 

   Place a slice of apple on top of each mound and gently press down until the mound is about 1 inch thick. Lightly brush with more cream and sprinkle with course sugar.

9. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned. Halfway though switch the position of the baking sheets and flip 180 degrees for more even baking. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Place scones on a platter or wire rack to cool a bit more. Serve warm with spiced maple butter or assemble into shortcakes.
10. To make spiced maple butter beat butter, maple syrup and apple pie spice on medium speed until light and fluffy. Serve at room temperature. (Makes about 3/4 cup)

Store the scones in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store the butter in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Soften it in the microwave for a few seconds before serving if necessary.

Spiced Winter Fruit

adapted from Cooking Light ^[5]

Side Dish, Dessert | Servings: 6
Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 15 min | Total time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. apple pie spice*
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 3 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) sliced peeled Bartlett or Anjou pears
• 2 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) sliced peeled Granny Smith apples

*Make apple pie spice by combining 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. cardamom.

Process

1. Combine brown sugar and apple pie spice in a small bowl.
2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sugar mixture, pears and apples. Cover and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve as a side dish with dinner or top with ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream for dessert. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

adapted from Food.com ^[6]

Dessert | Servings: 4 cups
Prep time: 5 min | Total time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Process

1. Pour heavy cream into a chilled (5 minutes in the freezer works for me) bowl.
2. Beat on high speed, slowly adding the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
4. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill.