Coconut Shortcakes With Peaches And White Chocolate Cream Recipes

COCONUT SHORTCAKES WITH PEACHES AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM

Steps:

• For cream:
• Melt chocolate with 1/4 cup cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup cream to stiff peaks. Fold cream into chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Cover; chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For sauce:
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy large deep saucepan. Add peach nectar and sugar and simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 55 minutes. Whisk in butter. Cool. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.)
• For shortcakes:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Finely grind first 4 ingredients in processor. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in extract. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with cream. Spoon batter into pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.
• Cut cake into 6 wedges. Cut each wedge horizontally in half. Place cake bottoms on plates. Top with some peaches, then sauce. Top with some cream. Cover with more peaches and sauce. Prop tops against side of shortcakes.

COCONUT CREAM CAKE WITH PEACHES

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed 11-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
• Fill a medium pot with one inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Combine eggs, sugar and salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk until blended. Place bowl over (but not touching) simmering water and continue whisking until warm to the touch. Remove from heat and whip until mixture has tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Fold in vanilla extract and coconut. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake until cake is firm to the touch and golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Line a 10-inch springform cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang. (You'll need 2 long pieces of plastic.)
• Make the filling and topping: Whip 1 1/2 cups/355 milliliters of the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. (Reserve the remaining 3/4 cup cream/175 milliliters for serving.)
• Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the cake; invert onto a clean work surface and peel off the parchment. Cut a 9 3/4-inch round out from the sheet cake and fit it into the bottom of your springform pan (trim the cake round if necessary). Spread half the cream over the cake round, then top with half the peaches.
• Cut the remaining cake scraps to make another layer of cake on top of the peaches, then top with more peaches and more whipped cream. Wrap the pan tightly in the plastic, using more plastic if needed. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
• Release the sides of the pan and unwrap the cake to the point at which the top is exposed. Carefully flip the cake over onto a serving platter. Remove the pan bottom and the plastic wrap. Whip the remaining cream and spread over the cake before serving. Decorate with peaches, strawberries or both, if you like.

COCONUT SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides.
• Finely grind first 4 ingredients in processor.
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in extract.
• Stir in dry ingredients alternately with cream.
• Spoon batter into pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.
• Cut cake into 6 wedges. Serve with your favorite fruit, ice cream and/or whipped cream.