It’s a brand new year, and what better way to celebrate it than to make something new and delicious? Our time indoors has given us the chance to consider new hobbies and to improve on existing ones. We can’t speak for everyone, but collecting delicious recipes online is quite a fulfilling hobby. Here, have a tasty pear shortcake with caramel sauce recipe. Savor something sweet and delicious for 2021!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup all-purpose flour.
• ¾ cup flour (not self-raising)
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• 9 tablespoons cold butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2½ pounds ripe best quality pears (about 6 medium) peeled, cored and cut lengthwise about ¾ thick and in wedges.
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 strips of lemon peel
• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream (whipped).

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Firstly, prepare the biscuits.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, mix all the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Put the 5 tablespoons of butter in the mixture and with your hands mix the ingredients until they resemble course crumbs. Add the milk, stirring until the mixture forms a soft, sticky dough.
3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead so the dough is thoroughly mixed. With floured hands, pat the dough 1 inch thick
4. With 2½ inch round biscuit cutter, cut out as many biscuits as you can, using all the trimmings as well. With a slice, place biscuits, 1 inch apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until golden, 12-15 minutes.
5. In a medium nonstick pan, melt the remaining butter over a medium heat. Add the pears and cook, uncovered stirring until browned and tender, 10-15 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon peel strips; cook for 1 minute. Throw away lemon peel.
6. With a fork, split each warm biscuit horizontally in half. Spoon pear mixture onto bottom halves of biscuits; top with whipped cream, then the biscuit tops.

Optional

For caramel sauce

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1 cup whipping cream
• ½ cup butter
• 2 tablespoons pear brandy

In small bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in pear brandy. Frost cooled biscuit with whipped cream. Put pear mixture on top of bottom biscuit. Drizzle 2 tablespoons sauce over pear mixture. Refrigerate until serving time. Then place the biscuit top.