Desserts
Bananas Foster Shortcake
Be sure to check out this week's Test Kitchen tip for shortcake secrets.
Ingredients
FOR THE SHORTCAKES, WHISK:
FOR THE TOPPINGS, SIMMER:
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For the shortcakes, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt in a bowl.
Cut 4 Tbsp. butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender until butter is the size of peas. Stir together ½ cup cream and yogurt in a second bowl, add to flour mixture, and blend with a fork just until dough comes together.
Pat out dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle about 1-inch thick. Using a 2½-inch round cutter, cut out as many shortcakes as possible and place on prepared baking sheet. Gently press scraps into a 1-inch-thick circle and cut remaining biscuits.
Brush shortcakes with cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
For the toppings, simmer brown sugar, 1 stick butter, rum, liqueur, cinnamon, and pinch of salt in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Add bananas and simmer until warmed though, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in pineapple.
Halve shortcakes horizontally; coat cut sides with Foster sauce. Place bottoms on serving dishes, cut side up, then top with fruit mixture, ice cream, nuts, and remaining shortcake halves.
It's easiest to cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry blender. If you don't have one, use two table knives.
Coarse-grain sanding sugar gives the shortcakes loads of crunchy texture, but plain sugar is OK too.
Add bananas to Foster sauce, stirring to coat. Don't cook for long — you don't want them to get mushy or fall apart.
For additional flavor and moisture, spoon some of the sauce onto cut sides of shortcakes before assembling.