Spiced shortcake biscuits sop up sweet peach juice and are topped with a hearty dollop of whipped cream and candied nuts for a twist on southern classics.
It's in the air:
The smell of Valentine's Day, and Black History Month. Both of these smell like good food, so I'm in luck.
In honor of Black History Month, I'm joining in the third annual Black History Month Potluck, where a wonderful group of black food bloggers have come together to share some of our favorite recipes with each other and and y'all, our readers, that showcase and celebrate the African diaspora and black culture as a whole. One recipe for each day of Black History Month. So check them out as well, you won't regret it.
Black History Month holds a special place for me, because learning about and understanding the perseverance and successes of black men and women throughout the African diaspora is an ongoing journey as many things are brought to the surface and to the masses is of such importance to me, especially as a mom.
Now, onto these Peach Shortcakes. I realized that in my family, Southern culture and Black culture are intertwined. Summers at my grandmother's house in Georgia meant running through her gardens and finding her peach trees heavy with peaches perfect for eating.
And when we returned for the holidays, those summer peaches were awaiting in mason jars (or already turned into peach wine) to be used in cobbler for Thanksgiving.
I was going to bring a peach cobbler to the Black History Month potluck, but decided to take a twist on it. I know many a recipe that use biscuits as the top of a peach cobbler and I figured, "Why not peach shortcakes instead ?"
Shortcakes are simple, sweet, tender biscuits that are very easy to make, with fruit and whipped cream or ice cream.
With these peach shortcakes, I've spiced the biscuits with the warm spices you'd find in a peach cobbler: cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of cardamom.
These biscuits are drop biscuits, meaning unlike classic Southern buttermilk biscuits, they require no kneading, folding, or excessive amounts of freezing. Just mix the dough and drop them onto your silpat or parchment paper. The biscuits also get topped with an egg wash and sprinkled generously with raw sugar for a little sparkle and crunch.
Speaking of crunch, I added candied walnuts into the mix to add some texture and interest, with a sweet, nutty flavor. Candied nuts are a great way to add a little pizzazz to any dessert and you can swap the walnuts for candied pecans, almonds, cashews, whatever you like. They're optional, but I love 'em. Check out my easy stove top candied nut recipe, it won't take longer than ten minutes start to finish.
Another great idea is to spike your whipped cream with rum, bourbon, or amaretto. Or add a splash of it to your bowl of peaches while they macerate, or soften due to the sugar and liquid. This is especially great with those fresh summer peaches, so keep this in your pocket for the summer, too.
This entire peach shortcake recipe takes...wait for it...LESS THAN THIRTY MINUTES TO MAKE! There's no reason to not whip this up as a last minute dinner party dessert or weeknight dessert with the family.
Looking for more soul food? Check out:
Sweet Potato Pie
Shrimp and Grits
Red Beans and Rice
Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken
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📖 Recipe

Spiced Peach Shortcake with Candied Walnuts Recipe
Spiced, sweet shortcake biscuits sop up sweet peach juice and are topped with a dollop of whipped cream and candied nuts for a twist on classics.
Ingredients
Peaches
- 2 (14 oz) cans sliced peaches, drained OR 6-8 fresh peaches, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Splash of bourbon or whiskey (optional)
Biscuits
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- â…” cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Splash of milk
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoon confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Toss the peach slices with the sugar and liquor, if using. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a large measuring cup or a medium sized bowl, whisk the buttermilk, one egg, vanilla, and butter together until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a baking spatula until just combined. Don't over mix or the biscuits will be hard and dense.
Beat the remaining egg with the splash of milk to create an egg wash. Drop â…“ cup of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart. Brush egg wash over the top of the dough and sprinkle turbinado sugar generously over the top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. They should be lightly golden brown when done, don't over bake them. Cool the biscuits on a wire rack.
When ready to serve, whip the cold heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer or whisk (and elbow grease!) until soft peaks form.
To serve, split one biscuit in half and top the bottom half with peaches and the accumulated juice, then add a hearty spoonful of whipped cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 516Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 406mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 4gSugar: 29gProtein: 9g
And don't forget to check out the other fantastic recipes in the Black History Month Potluck here:
Beautiful Eats & Things | Okra, Corn & Tomato Chicken Stew
Beyond the Bayou Blog | Mackerel Balls with Biscuits and Cane Syrup
BSugar Mama | Red Beans and Rice
Butter Be Ready | Caribbean Curry Goat with Rice and Peas
Cooks with Soul | Boudin Balls
D.M.R. Fine Foods | Spice Roasted Chicken
Dash of Jazz | Soul Food Power Bowl
Dish it with Tisha | Jamaican Curry Chicken
Domestic Dee | Chicken Sliders
Eat. Drink. Frolic. | Bourbon + Sweet Potato Pie
First and Full | Homemade Peach Pie
Food Fidelity | Nashville Hot Shrimp Sandwich
Food is Love Made Edible | Smothered Okra with Chicken and Smoked Sausage
Foodie in New York | Chess Pie
Immaculate Bites | Pimento Cheese
Kaluhi's Kitchen | Pilipili & Rosemaryy Marinated Mbuzi Choma na Kachumbari
Kenneth Temple | Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Marisa Moore Nutrition | Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cabbage
Meiko and the Dish | Hot Buttered Rum Biscuits
My Life Runs on Food | Southern Style Caesar Salad
Rosalynn Daniels | Osso Bucco
Savory Thoughts | Haitian Patty
Simply LaKita | Fried Okra
That Girl Cooks Healthy | Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
The Hungry Hutch | Cornbread Dressing
The Seasoning Bottle | Guava Short Ribs
Whisk it Real Gud | Banana Bread

Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.
Helen @ family-friends-food.com says
That looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous! Bookmarking for the next time I have an excuse to make dessert 😀
Valentina says
The Black History Month potluck sounds like a delicious collaboration. And if I could get my hands on these I would. Guess I'll have to make them. All of the warming spices in the recipe are calling to me.
Dannii says
I love peach desserts in the spring and this looks perfect!
Mary Bostow says
Making this right now! Hope it comes out good ? This is a good idea and amazing recipe too.
Juli says
Such a great post!!! This shortcake looks amazing! I love that you topped it with candied nuts. Can't wait to give this a try my family and I love peaches!