For me, one of the best desserts that truly takes advantage of summer fruits is shortcake. Cut up fresh fruit tossed with a little sugar and allowed to sit and make it’s own sweet syrup then piled on a sweet biscuit or dense cake with a dollop of whipped cream… what’s not to love?!
Quick and Easy dessert for summer gatherings or anytime for that matter. I do love a traditional sweet biscuit shortcake, but this is quick and easy. No heating up the kitchen to make biscuits. The fresh fruit does a lot of the work for you.
To Grill or Not to Grill The Fruit is totally optional, but you would miss out on the caramelization of the fruit resulting in a more intense flavor contrasted with the little flecks of char from the grill.
Bump It Up by buying the pound cake from a bakery or get it from the freezer section… easy is the key word here. Easy is great, but you have to, you know, make it your own. So I brushed the slices of pound cake with browned butter, grilled them and then brushed the grilled slices with a little honey whiskey liqueur… you’re welcome.
- 6 medium nectarines, firm but ripe
- Neutral oil, for grilling
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 stick butter
- 12 (1/2-inch thick) slices of pound cake
- Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Liqueur (Drambuie, Amaretto, Frangelico, etc would all be delicious)
- Set up your grill for medium direct heat. Brush and oil the grate before cooking. Quarter the nectarines and rub with a little oil to coat. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until marked. Chop the grilled nectarines and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup of sugar (if there are no kiddo's around, throw in a tablespoon or two of the liqueur as well) and toss to combine. Let the fruit sit covered at room temperature for an hour. If you want to do ahead, cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream with 1 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla until it holds soft peaks. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan and continue cooking until golden brown in color. Lightly brush both sides of each slice of pound cake with browned butter and grill for a couple minutes per side until marked. Transfer to a baking sheet or cutting board and brush with the liqueur, if desired.
- To assemble each shortcake, place on slice of pound cake on a plate, cover with a spoonful of nectarines, some of the fruit syrup and a dollop of cream, top with another slice of pound cake whipped cream and fruit. Serve immediately.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
[…] By Jeff Parker […]