Cook's Illustrated

Peach Shortcakes

Published July 1, 2008.  From Cook's Illustrated.

Why this recipe works:

For a peach shortcake recipe that would work with any peach, regardless of quality, we found that macerating sliced peaches didn’t adequately moisten and sweeten the fruit. Microwaving some of the peaches with peach schnapps until they were tender and mashing them to create a jam that we added to the remaining uncooked peaches gave the fruit the moisture and sweetness we were looking for.

Serves 6

This recipe works well with any peaches, regardless of quality. If your peaches are firm, you should be able to peel them with a sharp vegetable peeler. If they are too soft to withstand the pressure of a peeler, you’ll need to blanch them in a pot of simmering water for 15 seconds and then shock them in a bowl of ice water before peeling. If buttermilk is not available, substitute 1/2 cup of low-fat yogurt mixed with 3 tablespoons of milk. Orange juice or orange liqueur can be used in place of the peach schnapps. The biscuits may be made up to 24 hours in advance.


Ingredients

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