Cornmeal Shortcakes with Peaches, Mint, and Soured Cream
While living in Rhode Island and working at Al Forno, I was fascinated by the celebrations that revolved around food (especially in the Italian and Portuguese neighborhoods) and the connection Rhode Islanders felt to certain local produce, like their native tomatoes and homegrown corn. The most prized dish in tiny Rhode Island is the johnnycake. Originally called journey cakes, these cornmeal griddle cakes, made with locally milled native corn, have been the pride and joy of Rhode Island since the seventeenth century. County competitions are held annually, and there’s even a group called the Society for the Propagation of Johnny Cakes that sees to it that their corn-pancake tradition stays alive and well. So it seemed natural at Al Forno to add that famous stone-ground corn to our shortcake biscuit. Here I’ve borrowed Al Forno’s foolproof recipe and added peaches and my own “soured cream.” To get the peaches nice and saucy, I marinate them in simple syrup with mint and then purée a portion of the fruit to spoon over the biscuit. Feel free to make this shortcake with whatever juicy fruit you like, such as nectarines or berries. The biscuit recipe makes about eight in all. So don’t worry when you notice one or two mysteriously missing after they’re pulled from the hot oven and left to cool on the counter; you’ll still have enough to feed six.
Ingredients
Peaches and Soured Cream
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 2
Place the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 3 heaping tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse about ten times, to a coarse meal. With the machine running, quickly pour in 1 cup cream. Stop the machine immediately when the dough starts to come together. (It is important not to overwork the dough.)
Step 3
Place the dough on a clean work surface and bring it together with your hands. Shape it into a circle 1 1/4 inches thick. Cut the circle in half, and then cut each half into four wedges. Place the shortcakes on a buttered baking sheet. Brush them with the remaining tablespoon of cream, and sprinkle a little sugar on top of each one.
Step 4
Bake about 15 minutes, until the biscuits are set and a light golden brown.
Step 5
When they have cooled, cut the shortcakes in half horizontally, and place the bottom halves on each of six plates or on a large platter. Place a spoonful of peach purée onto each biscuit. Spoon a large dollop of the soured cream over each, and ladle some of the peaches and their juices over the cream, letting some of the fruit fall onto the plates. Drizzle a little more peach purée, and place the shortcake tops back on.
Peaches and Soured Cream
Step 6
To make the simple syrup, combine the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Swirl the pan until the sugar has dissolved completely. Pour the simple syrup into a small clean container, and cool in the refrigerator. (If you’re in a hurry, put it in the freezer to cool.)
Step 7
Place the mascarpone in the bowl of a food processor. Add 1/3 cup of the simple syrup, and pulse to combine. Taste for sweetness, and add a little more syrup if you like. Squeeze 1 tablespoon lemon juice into the mascarpone. Pulse to combine, but don’t overwork it or it will curdle. Adjust the simple syrup and lemon to your taste. Keep cold in the refrigerator. Clean the bowl of the food processor.
Step 8
Peel the peaches. Cut each in half, remove the pit, and then cut into slices. Toss the peach slices in a bowl with 3 tablespoons simple syrup. Tear the mint with your hands, add it to the peaches, and toss to combine. Taste the peaches, and add a little more syrup if you like. Let the peaches macerate in the syrup for 10 minutes.
Step 9
Purée a quarter of the peaches in the food processor and set aside. See main recipe for assembly instructions.
