Banana-caramel Shortcakes

Total Time: 1 hr 47 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 17 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• walnuts, chopped, garnish

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 425 degrees; you'll need a baking sheet.
• 2 sauce: stir sugar and water in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.
• 3 boil 5 minutes, without stirring, scraping down sides of pan if mixture starts to crystallize around edges, or until mixture is caramel-colored.
• 4 whisk in butter until melted.
• 5 remove from heat and whisk in cream (mixture will bubble vigorously).
• 6 scrape into a medium bowl; cover loosely and refrigerate until cool.
• 7 shortcakes: whisk flour, walnuts, 2 t sugar, the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until blended.
• 8 add cream; stir with a fork until mixture comes together to form a dough.
• 9 transfer dough to work surface and form into 6-inch long log.
• 10 cut into 6 rounds.
• 11 place rounds on ungreased baking sheet.
• 12 sprinkle tops with remaining sugar.
• 13 bake 14-17 minutes or until golden.
• 14 remove to wire rack to cool completely.
• 15 to serve: slice bananas and stir into caramel sauce.
• 16 beat cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted.
• 17 halve shortcakes with a serrated knife.
• 18 place bottoms on dessert plates.
• 19 top each bottom with scant 1/4 cup banana-caramel mixture, then about 3 t whipped cream.
• 20 top with biscuit tops, 2 t banana-caramel mixture and 1 t whipped cream.
• 21 garnish.
• 22 to plan ahead: bake shortcakes no more than 8 hours before serving.
• 23 when they're cool, store tightly covered at room temperature.
• 24 make the caramel sauce up to a week ahead and store in the refrigerator.
• 25 of course, if time's really short, you can substitute bottled caramel sauce for the homemade.