About
Sugar & Spice Shortcake really is everything nice! It's got a flakey, buttery homemade crust that holds a sweet, sugary pear and blueberry filling that will taste like a whimsical fairytale dream. Topped with a big dollop of your favorite whipped topping and some crunchy flaked almonds, after one bite, you might just exclaim, "Wow, today is a fairytale." And that's what Sugar & Spice Shortcake is made of!
Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1 cardamom pod, seeds crushed, pod discarded
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 Beurre Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced and finely zested
- 1 cup blueberries
- milk, to taste, for brushing
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds
- 1 tablespoon Demerara cane sugar
- whipped topping, to taste, for serving
- For the shortcake pastry:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring a worksurface
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
Step 1 -In a saucepan over low heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the brown sugar, the cardamom seeds, and the nutmeg and cook, while stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 2 -Add the pear, the lemon juice, and the lemon zest to the butter mixture and cook until the pears are soft, but not mushy, about 8 minutes.
Step 3 -Transfer the pan from the heat and stir in the blueberries.
Step 4 -Allow the pear mixture to cool to room temperature.
Step 5 -While the filling is cooling, in a bowl using an electric mixer, beat the remaining butter and the caster sugar until it is thick and pale.
Step 6 -Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix well.
Step 7 -Add the all-purpose flour, the almond meal, and the baking powder to the butter mixture and stir until it is combined.
Step 8 -Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly until the mixture is brought together.
Step 9 -Divide the dough in half and pat each of the halves into discs.
Step 10 -Enclose the dough discs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 11 -Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F.
Step 12 -Grease a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.
Step 13 -On a lightly floured surface, roll each of the dough discs into 9-inch round portions.
Step 14 -Press 1 of the dough portions into the prepared pan.
Step 15 -Pile the pear filling and any of its juices evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge.
Step 16 -Top the pear filling with the remaining dough portion and press the edges together to seal it.
Step 17 -Brush the top of the dough with the milk and sprinkle with the almonds and the Demerara sugar.
Step 18 -Bake the shortcake until it is golden, about 35-40 minutes. Loosely cover with foil if the crust is browning too quickly.
Step 19 -Allow the shortcake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
Step 20 -Transfer the shortcake out of the pan.
Step 21 -Slice and serve with the whipped cream.
