Carmel Pear Shortcakes With Whipped Cream And Butterscotch Sauce

CARAMEL PEAR SHORTCAKES WITH 

WHIPPED CREAM AND 

 BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE                        

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

Shortcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

 3 T. sugar

1 T. plus 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

5 T. unsalted butter, cut into

    small cubes

About 1 cup buttermilk

Shortcake Topping:

1/4 cup whole milk or cream

1/4 cup sugar

Pears and Whipped Cream:

3 T. unsalted butter

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and

    seeds scraped out

6 Anjou or Red Bartlett pears, peeled,

    cored and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup sugar, divided use

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Butterscotch Sauce:               

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 T. unsalted butter

Pinch salt

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

*

Directions:

1. For shortcakes, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Cut butter into mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until butter is still visible but very small.  Gently stir in 1/2 cup of the buttermilk.  Keep stirring in more buttermilk until a soft dough is formed.

2. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and pat to a 1 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut out 8 (1 1/2 inch) circles with a metal cutter.  Place shortcakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush tops with milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes; remove to a rack to cool

3. For pears, melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the vanilla bean and seeds and pear cubes; cook until pears begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in 2/3 cup sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until apples are soft and caramelized. Whip cream with 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla; refrigerate. 

4. For Butterscotch Sauce, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute; remove from heat and stir in cream and vanilla.

5.    Split shortcakes and place bottoms on serving plates.  Divide pears among shortcakes and drizzle with Butterscotch Sauce; top with whipped cream and then the shortcake top.  Drizzle more Butterscotch Sauce on the plate as desired.