Fresh Peaches With Ginger Biscuits

Name: Fresh Peaches With Ginger Biscuits
Ingredients: 6 large ripe peaches (Or nectarines. You will need enough to make 6 cups, sliced); 2 tablespoons maple sugar (I used organic dark brown sugar) or 2 tablespoons raw sugar (I used organic dark brown sugar); 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour; 1 cup unbleached white flour; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut up into small chunks; 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped into pea-size chunks (I cut up the ginger into even smaller pieces using a very sharp knife); 1 large egg; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup buttermilk (plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed ); 1 cup cold heavy cream (aka whipping cream and *NOT* Cool Whip!); 1 tablespoon sugar, to taste (unbleached, raw, maple, etc.); 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

16 ingredients

13 steps

Ingredients

6 large ripe peaches (Or nectarines. You will need enough to make 6 cups, sliced)
2 tablespoons maple sugar (I used organic dark brown sugar) or 2 tablespoons raw sugar (I used organic dark brown sugar)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut up into small chunks
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped into pea-size chunks (I cut up the ginger into even smaller pieces using a very sharp knife)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed )
1 cup cold heavy cream (aka whipping cream and *NOT* Cool Whip!)
1 tablespoon sugar, to taste (unbleached, raw, maple, etc.)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1

Peel peaches (or nectarines). <<<Note: I skipped peeling the peaches. Slice into wedges about 1 inch wide. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar (I used raw sugar), cover, and refrigerate.
2

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3

Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, both flours, ground cardamom, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
4

Add butter and using a pastry blender to break up the butter into pea-size chunks. Stir in crystallized ginger.
5

Beat egg with vanilla and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until moistened. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk. Texture will be shaggy and barely moist.
6

Turn dough out onto a counter lightly dusted with flour (I floured my hands, too.). Knead a few times; then roll or pat dough into a circle about 3/4-inch thick.
7

Using a glass or biscuit cutter, cut out six 2-inch circles; gather remains, shape into a disk, and cut out remaining biscuits. Place close together on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 12-18 minutes. <<<--The biscuits baked a total of 12 minutes in our oven.
8

Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes.
9

Whip cream until it holds soft peaks. Add sweetener to taste and stir in almond extract.
10

To serve, cut biscuits. <<-- If you try to slice the biscuits in half too soon after removing them from the oven the biscuits will fall apart.
11

Spoon fruit and juices (if any) over bottom half, add a dollop of cream, and cover with top biscuit.
12

I garnished the dessert with a light sprinkle of raw sugar for presentation.
13

Yield is estimated.