These shortcakes taste like deconstructed apple pie! Tender, buttery biscuits made with sour cream like in these strawberry shortcakes, with cinnamon-y apples, caramelised in butter and brown sugar, and of course fluffy whipped cream with more cinnamon. So delicious and very addictive!

These shortcakes are easy to make, with a very manageable dough. Not overworking it is key, so there’s already less effort involved! The sour cream adds so much flavour and I much prefer these to plain shortbread biscuits. They have a golden-brown, crusty top, and soft centers. Best eaten fresh!

The caramelised apples are the star of the show here. They are not mushy and still have a slight bite with the divine flavour combination of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cooked till browned and caramelised, the colour is my favourite bit! You can also add more apples per shortcake, it just gets a little messier to eat but messy is good, so feel free!

Add lightly sweetened, vanilla and cinnamon scented whipped cream and this is one explosively good dessert! It tastes best made and eaten the same day, but can be stored for a shortcake sandwich of sorts 🙂 I hope you love this!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Caramelised Apple Shortcakes

Tender shortbread biscuits with cinnamon whipped cream and caramelised apples

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1 40

Makes: 6 shortcakes

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Ingredients

For the biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour (240 gms)
1 and 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 tsps caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup butter, cold and cubed (115 gms)
3/4 cup chilled sour cream (180 gms) (see notes)
1/3 cup chilled whipping cream (80 ml)
1 tbsp cream + 2 tbsps granulated sugar to finish, optional

For the apples

3 red apples (see notes)
2 tbsps butter, salted is ok
5 tsps brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the whipped cream

1/3 cup chilled whipping cream (80 ml) (see notes)
Big pinch of cinnamon
3 tsps caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the shortcakes. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt (if using). Stir to combine, then add the lemon zest and stir again.
Now add the cold, cubed butter to the bowl and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour, until there are pea-sized bits of butter scattered throughout and the dough somewhat resembles coarse breadcrumbs. The bits of butter are what will create a great end result so don't work it all into the dough!
In another bowl whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream. Pour into the flour-butter mixture and use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir into a shaggy dough. Now use your hands to gently knead it for just a few seconds and bring it together into a mass. The dough is soft and a little moist. Don't worry about making it super smooth, over-kneading the dough will cause the biscuits to become dense and tough. See photos below.
Place the dough on a lightly floured silicone baking mat and flatten with your hands into a 6 inch square. Cut it into 4 equal squares, then stack them one on top of the other to form a little tower which creates buttery layers as the biscuits bake. Flatten this tower with your hands (the dough is soft and will yield easily) and pat it into a rectangle that's 7.5x5 inches. If at any point the dough starts to warm up or the butter melts, stick it in the fridge before proceeding.
Now cut the rectangle into 6 equal pieces. Separate them and space them around the baking mat, leaving about 2 inches between each. Slide the mat onto a tray and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. The idea is to keep them very cold so they don't spread and instead rise up nice and tall and flaky. You can also use non-stick baking paper instead of a silicone mat.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200 C.
Make the apple filling. Peel and core each apple, then slice (not too thin, not too thick) and set aside. In a wide saucepan on low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir together, letting it cook for a minute. Add the apples and cinnamon and stir well to make sure each apple slice is well coated. Spread them out in a single layer (if your pan is small, best to do this in batches or the apples won't caramelise as well). Let them cook on each side for about 5 minutes, until golden-brown and caramelised and heavenly-smelling! Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Make the whipped cream. Combine the whipping cream, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until the cream thickens and forms soft, rounded peaks. This takes about 5 minutes. Place this in the fridge as well, it will remain thick and hold it's shape better when you assemble the shortcakes.
Now it's time to bake the biscuits! Brush the tops of the cold dough squares with cream and then sprinkle evenly with the granulated sugar. This is optional but adds a nice colour and crunch.
Bake for 30 minutes until the shortcakes have risen, turned golden brown and have some cracks on top (this is inevitable, don't worry). Avoid over-baking because they will dry out and also become much harder to slice without falling apart.
Let the biscuits cool to room temperature, then use a sharp knife to slice each one in half horizontally. Place about 2 tablespoons of cream on the lower half of each, followed by the cooled apple filling, diving it equally among each. Drizzle with any juices left behind in the bowl. Place the top half of the biscuits on the apples and dig in. Shortcakes are definitely a little messy to eat but that's ok!
These are best made and eaten fresh, but the biscuits can be stored at room temperature for a day or two (they will dry out a little) and the whipped cream and apples will keep for a day in the fridge. Alternately, assembled shortcakes can be kept in an airtight tin in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and brought to room temperature before eating, like a shortcake sandwich! Happy baking!

Notes

*I used Amul sour cream which I found on Big Basket. Mooz, RRO Dairy and other options are fine too. I have not tried any substitutes here although thick Greek yoghurt or hung curd might work.

*I used Amul whipping cream, which I normally find on Big Basket. Before whipping the cream, chill your bowl and beaters for 20 minutes. And the cream should be chilled for at least 24 hours.

*Keeping the butter, cream and sour cream cold is essential to a tender and flaky result.

*Three apples are perfect for a manageable amount of filling. However, if you want to add more apples, you certainly can and serve them along side instead of inside the shortcake which might get a little harder to eat if it's too full.

*Shortcake biscuits from Bon Appetit