The perfect plum is a rare find. Typically, the ones piled up in plastic baskets at the  grocery store are pretty to look at, but are seldom prime for the eating, with an overly tart flavor and a tough, sapless texture. Local, fresh, perfectly ripe plums deserve a special nod to their deliciousness.

who says strawberries get to have all the fun? special (and deceptively simple) these spiced plum shortcakes are showstoppers.

Saturday morning, after picking our eldest up from her dance class, we swung by the Alderney Landing farmer’s market to top up our supply of fresh, locally grown fruit and to meet our three year-old’s request for corn on the cob. After selecting six perfectly formed husk-covered cobs, I spied a table covered with lovely baskets of plums of assorted sizes and varieties.

plum —noun: an excellent or desirable thing.

Greeted with a welcoming smile from the farmer vending these beautiful stone fruits, an invitation to sample any of the three varieties of plums,  and a gesture to feel free to mix and match my own basket, I gleaned a collection of my favorite plums. With my small, dark purple-skinned, yellow-fleshed Italian (“prune”) plums in hand — all ripe, juicy, tender and sweet — I began spinning ideas of what type of nectarous treat I could fashion in honor of these impeccable plums.

Spiced Plum Shortcakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Biscuit Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ cup half and half

Spiced Plums

¼ cup unsalted butter
2 pounds purple or dark red plums, pitted and cut into ½-inch slices
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger

Whipped Filling Ingredients

1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tsp icing sugar
¼ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

crystallized ginger.

Tips

• If you get a hankering for fresh plums outside of their local season and are forced to purchase the (usually) unripe ones at the grocery store, you can bring them to their peak of ripeness by letting them sit on the counter where they will ripen pretty quickly and reliably at room temperature.

• These shortcakes are best served immediately upon assembly, and very shortly after the biscuits and fillings are made. From start to finish, this dessert can be made in under 45 minutes, but to work ahead, biscuits can be made 8 hours ahead, spiced plums can be made up to 4 hours ahead, and whipping cream can be prepared just before serving.

cubed butter on its way to becoming a biscuit.

get rolling: shortcake biscuit dough.

cutting in: use 3-inch round or square, smooth or fluted cookie cutter.

biscuits ready for the oven.

Biscuit Directions

1. Whisk together flour, crystallized ginger, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger and salt in medium bowl.
2. Add butter; incorporate into flour mixture by rubbing together with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add half and half; stir just until dough forms.
4. Gather dough into ball with floured hands and gently knead 8 times against side of bowl.
5. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 3/4-inch-thick disk.
6. Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 6 biscuits; first cut 4, then gather dough and re-roll as needed to cut/form 2 more biscuits.
7. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet.
8. Bake biscuits in preheated oven (400 degree F) for 15 minutes, or until pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean.
9. Cool 20 minutes. Biscuits can be made 8 hours ahead; cool completely and store in airtight container at room temperature.

biscuits: baked and ready to make the most delicious sweet sandwich.

a true plum sauce: as plums cook their flesh goes from brilliant yellow to golden orange, and (finally) vibrant red.

Spiced Plum Directions

1. Melt butter in medium pot or large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add sliced plums and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes syrupy and plums are tender but not mushy, about 6 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and ground ginger.
4. Let cool 5 minutes. Spiced plums can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature and rewarm before serving.

sweet whipped cream studded with crystallized ginger.

Whipped Filling Directions

1. Using electric mixer, beat cream in medium bowl until soft peaks form.
2. Add 2 teaspoons icing sugar and beat to firm peaks.
3. Fold in crystallized ginger.

Shortcake Assembly

1. Cut biscuits in half; place bottom halves on 6 dessert plates.
2. Top with a heaping spoonful of warm plums, then a dollop of whipped cream.
3. Cover with biscuit tops.
4. Dust generously with icing sugar. If desired, garnish with fresh berries.
5. Serve at once and enjoy!

the aromatic, dense, ginger-speckled biscuit is ideal for sopping up the flavor-packed spiced plums and whipped cream.

who says strawberries get to have all the fun? special (and deceptively easy) these spiced plum shortcakes are showstoppers.

The perfect plum is a rare find. Typically, the ones piled up in plastic baskets at the  grocery store are pretty to look at, but are seldom prime for the eating, with an overly tart flavor and a tough, sapless texture.

Saturday morning, after picking our eldest up from her dance class, we swung by the Alderney Landing farmer’s market to top up our supply of fresh, locally grown fruit and to meet our three year-old’s request for corn on the cob. After selecting six perfectly-formed husk-covered cobs, I spied a table covered with lovely baskets of plums of assorted sizes and varieties.

plum —noun: an excellent or desirable thing.

Greeted with a welcoming smile from the farmer vending these beautiful stone fruits, an invitation to sample any of the three varieties of plums,  and a gesture to feel free to mix and match my own basket, I gleaned a collection of my favorite plums. With my small, dark purple-skinned, yellow-fleshed Italian (“prune”) plums in hand — all ripe, juicy, tender and sweet — I began spinning ideas of what type of nectarous treat I could fashion in honor of these impeccable plums.

Spiced Plum Shortcakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Biscuit Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ cup half and half

Spiced Plums

¼ cup unsalted butter
2 pounds purple or dark red plums, pitted and cut into ½-inch slices
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger

Whipped Filling Ingredients

1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tsp icing sugar
¼ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Tip

If you get a hankering for fresh plums outside of their local season and are forced to purchase the (usually) unripe ones at the grocery store, you can bring them to their peak of ripeness by letting them sit on the counter where they will ripen pretty quickly and reliably at room temperature.

Biscuit Directions

1. Whisk together flour, crystallized ginger, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger and salt in medium bowl to blend.
2. Add butter; incorporated into flour mixture by rubbing together with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add half and half; stir just until dough forms.
4. Gather dough into ball with floured hands and gently knead 8 times against side of bowl.
5. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 3/4-inch-thick disc.
6. Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 6 biscuits; you will first cut 4, then gather dough and reroll as needed to cut/form 2 more biscuits.
7. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet.
8. Bake biscuits in preheated oven (400 degree F) for 15 minutes, or until pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean.
9. Cool 20 minutes. Biscuits can be made 8 hours ahead; cool completely and store in airtight container at room temperature.

Spiced Plum Directions

1. 

   the aromatic, dense, ginger-studded shortcake is ideal for sopping up the flavor-packed spiced plums and whipped cream.

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