ArcaMax

Missing summer already? The good news is you can enjoy peach shortcakes any time! Start with frozen peaches and you’re on your way to making a delicious treat with a summery vibe.

Quick whipped tip

If you’re making your own whipped cream, it is important not to over-whip the cream. But what happens if you take whipped cream too far?

Cream, like butter and vinaigrette, is an emulsion. It’s made of tiny droplets of fat suspended in water. As you whip cream, tiny air bubbles become held in place by those droplets of fat, making it light and fluffy. But if you whip cream for too long, the emulsion of fat and water breaks! The droplets of fat clump together and separate from the liquid.

The good news is that you’re on your way toward making butter. The bad news is that you’ll need to start your whipped cream over again, so be sure to keep a careful eye on your cream as you beat it.

In the end, if you want to save time, simply buy some whipped cream from the grocery store when you pick up the frozen peach slices.

Peach Shortcakes

Makes 4 shortcakes

1 pound sliced frozen peaches, thawed

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon sugar, measured separately, plus extra for sprinkling

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups whipped cream

1. Use dry measuring cups to measure out 3/4 cup peaches and transfer to a cutting board. Set aside remaining peaches. Roughly chop 3/4 cup peaches.

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine chopped peaches, ground ginger, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Use a rubber spatula to stir until well combined. Heat in the microwave until peaches are bubbling, about 1 1/2 minutes.

3. Remove bowl from microwave. Use potato masher to crush chopped peaches. Add remaining sliced peaches to bowl and use rubber spatula to stir until combined. Let sit until peaches are juicy, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

4. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

6. In a liquid measuring cup, use a fork to stir buttermilk and melted butter until butter forms small clumps.

7. Add buttermilk mixture to bowl with flour mixture. Use a clean rubber spatula to stir until combined.

8. Spray inside of 1/2-cup dry measuring cup with vegetable oil spray. Use a greased measuring cup to scoop batter and use butter knife to scrape off extra batter. Drop 4 scoops onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between biscuits. Sprinkle each biscuit generously with extra sugar.

9. Place baking sheet in oven. Bake biscuits until the tops are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.

10. Remove baking sheet from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let biscuits cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. (This is a good time to make your whipped cream if using homemade.)

11. When biscuits are ready, split biscuits open with a clean fork. Transfer biscuits to individual serving plates. Use a slotted spoon to divide peaches evenly among biscuit bottoms. Top each with a spoonful of whipped cream and 1 biscuit top. Serve.

(For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen Kids — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all ages and skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.)

©2022 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.