Oat Shortcakes with Roasted Plums

ambspin
Sep 26
4 min read

Updated: Sep 28

Delicate, flavorful oat biscuits with sweet, syrupy plums

Baking, while a precise art, tends to reward us with deliciousness no matter the presentation.* For all my years baking, I still sprinkle sugar cookies unevenly and assemble cake layers that lack uniformity of height and shape; yet those of us partaking in dessert still delight in a series of forkfuls until slipping away from the table for seconds. Imperfect presentation is not unique to me, and thank goodness, as amoeba-shaped cookies and structurally unsound muffin tops need not deter any of us from what truly matters: a delicious bite and sweet finish to the day. Oat shortcakes with roasted plums rise to the task, all the more charming for their unsteady appearance.

The oat shortcakes are soft biscuits made hearty with oat flour and tender with buttermilk. The plums are roasted with maple syrup to concentrate the juices and draw out those lovely purply tones. Put together, they're almost impossible to assemble without a slipped plum slice or a slightly crumbled edge of shortcake, but soft whipped cream will most likely be dolloped anyways, and no one can ever tell which way it will fall.

What's in these oat shortcakes with roasted plums?

Oat Shortcakes

Oat flour: provides a nutty, oaty flavor
All-purpose flour: provides structure for the shortcakes
Sugar: lightly sweetens the shortcakes
Kosher salt: balances the flavors
Unsalted butter: provides moisture and richness
Baking powder: helps the shortcakes rise
Baking soda: reacts with the acid in the buttermilk to help the shortcakes rise
Buttermilk: adds a slightly tangy background flavor
Eggs: helps bind the shortcake dough
Vanilla extract: everything is better with vanilla
Course sugar: adds a finishing crunch to the top of the shortcakes
Whipped cream (optional): just a dollop for a final flourish

Roasted Plums

Plums: plums!
Maple syrup: caramelizes the plums and creates the syrupy sauce
Vanilla extract: provides depth of flavor
Kosher salt: balances the sweetness of the plums and syrup

There are a number of steps, but they are all simple:

Prepare the shortcakes: whisk the dry ingredients and cut in the butter.
Whisk the wet ingredients and stir gently into the dry ingredients.
Drop onto the baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 min.
Prepare the plums: combine the plum ingredients in a baking pan.
Bake the shortcakes, and then roast the plums.
Slice the shortcakes, spoon the plums and syrup, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!

These made-for-everyone shortcakes are friendly and unpretentious. There's no right way to arrange them, plate them, or eat them, and they're all the more enjoyable for it!

**"It was the touch of the imperfect upon the would-be perfect that gave the sweetness, because it was that which gave the humanity."*

~Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891)

Oat Shortcakes with Roasted Plums Makes 8 shortcakes

Author: Ambika

This rustic, wholesome treat is perfect for late summer or early fall, when plums are ripe and bountiful. The tender oat biscuits pair beautifully with syrupy roasted plums and a dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream, and any way you present them will be perfect. I hope you enjoy them!

Prep. Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

Oat Shortcakes:

1 cup oat flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons coarse sugar
whipped cream (optional)

Roasted Plums:

5 cups sliced plums (4-6 plums)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Helpful Equipment: half sheet baking pan, parchment paper, square baking pan (8x8 or 9x9), scone scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, pastry cutter (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the shortcakes: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Smush in the cold, diced butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the butter is flattened and has combined enough with the flour mixture to have a dry sandy texture (pictured in post).
Add the wet ingredients: In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Once combined, pour into the mixing bowl and gently stir into the dry ingredients until just incorporated; take care not to overmix. The dough will be sticky!
Use a scone scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop 8 portions of shortcake dough onto the baking sheet, spaced approximately 2 inches apart. Place the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Prepare the plums: Place the sliced plums, maple syrup, vanilla, and kosher salt in a baking pan. Stir together until all the plum slices are coated. Set the plums aside (you will roast them after the shortcakes are done baking).
Bake the shortcakes: After 20 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the fridge. Sprinkle the tops of the shortcakes with coarse sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking time, and remove when the shortcakes are golden brown and a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean. Let cool on the sheet pan on a wire rack.
Roast the plums: While the shortcakes cool, raise the oven temperature to 425°F. Place the plum pan in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring the plums 2 or 3 times. Remove the pan when the plums have softened and created a syrupy sauce.
Assemble the shortcakes: Carefully slice the shortcakes horizontally. Spoon the plums with some syrup onto the bottom halves and dollop with whipped cream (optional). Top with the other shortcake half and dollop with more plum sauce and/or whipped cream, and enjoy!

How to Store: These are best eaten the same day. However, you may store the shortcakes and plums separately in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Did you try this recipe? Feel free to leave any comments or questions below!