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    Home / Recipes / Biscuits, Scones & Pastries

    White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes

    Published Jul 25, 2013

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    delicious White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes

    I've been smitten with lemon verbena ever since I tried it in an ice cream in France many years ago. When my attempts to grow it failed, I turned to the kindness of strangers.

    herbs in a bowl

    Or at least, I tried.

    bowl of nectarines

    Before the herb began regularly popping up in our co-op and farm boxes, I spied a giant shrub in the Potrero Hill community garden. The waiting list for a garden plot is many years long, but I often enjoy wandering around, gazing jealously admiringly at the fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs that gardeners more skilled than myself cultivate throughout the seasons. It feels like a magical place, not only because it overlooks the entire city, but because it's an oasis of life and seasonality amid the concrete jungle of San Francisco.

    bowl of fruit

    So one day, after surreptitiously rubbing a lemon verbena leaf between my fingers, I decided to leave a note for the undoubtedly nice and generous person who owned more of this ginormous herb than one person could ever possibly use oneself. I asked politely if they would be willing to spare a few sprigs, adding that I would totally bring them some ice cream in exchange. I left my phone number and email address, and tied it to the verbena plant. And I waited.

    dry ingredients in a bowl

    Nothing.

    butter and flour in a bowl

    This shocked me as my note was SO nice. What kind of philistine would turn down homemade ice cream in exchange for a few sprigs of an herb that they had in abundance? What happened to neighborly benevolence? Why had I to live in such a cold, cruel, lemon-verbena-less world?

    dough on a board

    The only thing that helped me not lose faith in humanity was telling myself that the gardener never saw the note, or that the foggy dew dampened the letters beyond legibility. Or that the lemon verbena ogre got hit by drunk Muni driver. (Not that I was bitter.)

    shortcakes on parchment paper

    top down shot of shortcakes

    I baked up some cornmeal biscuits the other day with a mind to top them with white necterines and honey yogurt chantilly, when it occurred to me that what would really make the dish complete would be a few slivers of verbena leaves.

    shortcakes on baking tray

    These days, there's another semi-public garden in our neighborhood, used for demonstrations and the like, with a giant lemon verbena plant overhanging the sidewalk. This time, I forwent the note. I grabbed a pair of scissors, skulked out to the garden, made sure no one was looking, rehearsed in my head what I would say were I confronted ("Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize!") and snipped a few sprigs. I ganked this lemon verbena. I'm a terrible person who will probably spend eternity burning in a hell devoid of fragrant herbs and fruit desserts.

    multiple White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes

    But I'll tell you what's not terrible: nubby cornmeal biscuits topped with gooey, ripe nectarines flecked with herbaceous, lemony goodness and topped with a billow of honey yogurt whipped cream. This dessert if full of light, bright flavors that are at once fresh and familiar.

    White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes on a board

    White nectarines have a delicate, almost floral flavor that pairs beautifully with my herbal obsession, and the kiss of honey in the cream. (Though you can of course use the yellow guys instead, or white or yellow peaches.) Greek yogurt lightens up the cream and adds a bit of tang that plays well with the lemon and verbena in the fruit. Letting the nectarines mingle for a spell with sugar and lemon draws out their juices and creates a sauciness that helps moisten the biscuits.

    White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes in a row

    The biscuits are lovely on their own, warm from the oven, topped with butter and a bit of peach or plum jam.

    fork sticking into White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcake

    bowls of shortcake

    If you can't find lemon verbena to pilfer trade for a shortcake or two, don't despair; I think basil, mint or lemon balm would be equally good here, or you can leave the herb off altogether. Or you could be like a normal person and look for it at a farmer's market, CSA box or fancy foodie store.

    bowl with shortcake in it

    More Nectarine Recipes:

    • Nectarine Crème Fraîche Pie
    • Gluten-Free Nectarine Plum Almond Upside-Down Cake
    • (Gluten-Free!) Rosemary Nectarine Upside-Down Cake
    • White Nectarine Prosecco Sangría with Ginger & Elderflower

    More Lemon Verbana Recipes:

    • Lemon Verbena and Red Berry Shakes
    • Lemon Mascarpone Tart
    • Lemon Balm and Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
    • Raspberry, Lillet + Lemon Verbena Popsicles

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this nectarine and lemon verbena shortcake recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    5 from 1 vote

    Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes with Cornmeal Biscuits and Honey Yogurt Chantilly

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    These delicious treats are packed full of flavor.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total: 40 minutes
    Servings: 12 small or 8 larger servings.

    Ingredients

    Cornmeal Biscuits:

    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
    • 1/2 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal, plus more for dusting (3 ounces)
    • 1/4 cup sugar (2 ounces)
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, sliced 1/8" thick (2 1/2 ounces)
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing (4 ounces)
    • 1/2 cup plain, whole milk Greek yogurt (4 ounces)
    • 1 tablespoon coarse (turbinado)sugar, for sprinkling

    Honey Yogurt Chantilly:

    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (8 ounces)
    • 1 cup plain, whole milk Greek yogurt (8 ounces)
    • 2 tablespoons mild honey, or to taste (1 1/2 ounces)

    Lemon Verbena Nectarines:

    • 6-8 medium nectarines, fragrant and ripe but firm
    • 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
    • 10 large lemon verbena leaves

    Instructions

    Make the biscuits:

    • Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425ºLine a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter slices and work them in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture looks like a coarse meal with some larger, pea-sized butter bits. Whisk together the yogurt and cream; gradually add this to the flour mixture, stirring and tossing gently, until the mixture begins to come together. (You may need to knead it gently with your hands to make this happen. If it still won't come together, dribble in a bit more heavy cream until it does.)
    • Gently press the dough into a ball, and place it on a surface dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal over the dough, and press it into a 1" high round. Use a fluted 2 1/2" biscuit cutter (or 3" for larger shortcaketo cut out rounds as close together as possible. Place the biscuits 2" apart on the lined baking sheet. Gently press the dough scraps together and repeat, until you've used up all the dough.
    • Brush the tops of the biscuits with heavy cream, and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the biscuits until their tops and bottoms are golden, about 15-20 minutes for the small ones, rotating the biscuits halfway through for even baking. Let cool at least 20 minutes.
    • The biscuits are best when freshly baked, but extras can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. Re-toast before eating.

    Prepare the nectarines:

    • Slice the nectarines in half and remove their pits. Slice each half in half again, then cut each quarter crosswise into 1/4" thick slices. Place the nectarines in a medium bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice. Use a pair of scissors to snip the verbena leaves into thin threads into the nectarines; toss to combine. Taste, adding more lemon or sugar if you feel the need either. Let the nectarines sit for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes to draw their juices into a sauce, and extract the flavor of the lemon verbena.

    Make the chantilly:

    • In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream, yogurt and honey. Whip with a balloon whisk or the whip attachment until soft peaks form. (If you over-whip and the mixture becomes grainy, fold in a tablespoon or two of heavy cream until it smooths out again.) Store the mixture airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if you like.

    Assemble the shortcakes:

    • Slice the biscuits in half crosswise and place the bottom half of each on a plate. Spoon the nectarines and their juices over the biscuit, letting extra nectarines fall onto the plate. Top with a big scoop of the honey chantilly, and top with an off-set biscuit top. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    It's always nice to have options! Feel free to change up fruit here: add berries, peaches, plums or apricots. Use mint, basil or lemon balm in place of the lemon verbena. Cut the biscuits into triangles instead of rounds. Go crazy.
    I make both the biscuits and chantilly with a combination of Greek yogurt and heavy cream, but you can use all heavy cream for both if you prefer.
    Do keep everything as cool as possible when making the biscuits. If the dough becomes soft or sticky at any point, put it in the refrigerator for several minutes to chill the butter. When handling the dough, be gentle to avoid developing the glutens, which would make for tough biscuits.
    All ounce measurements here are by weight.
    Nutritional values are based on one of twelve servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 339mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 820IUVitamin C: 4.5mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 1.2mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes with Cornmeal Biscuits and Honey Yogurt Chantilly

    Makes 12 small or 8 larger servings

    It's always nice to have options! Feel free to change up fruit here: add berries, peaches, plums or apricots. Use mint, basil or lemon balm in place of the lemon verbena. Cut the biscuits into triangles instead of rounds. Go crazy.

    I make both the biscuits and chantilly with a combination of Greek yogurt and heavy cream, but you can use all heavy cream for both if you prefer. Do keep everything as cool as possible when making the biscuits. If the dough becomes soft or sticky at any point, put it in the refrigerator for several minutes to chill the butter. When handling the dough, be gentle to avoid developing the glutens, which would make for tough biscuits.

    All ounce measurements here are by weight.

    Cornmeal Biscuits:
    1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup (3 ounces) stone-ground yellow cornmeal, plus more for dusting
    1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, sliced 1/8" thick
    1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream, plus more for brushing
    1/2 cup (4 ounces) plain, whole milk Greek yogurt
    1 tablespoon coarse (turbinado) sugar, for sprinkling

    Honey Yogurt Chantilly:
    1 cup (8 ounces) heavy whipping cream
    1 cup (8 ounces) plain, whole milk Greek yogurt
    2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) mild honey, or to taste

    Lemon Verbena Nectarines:
    6-8 medium nectarines, fragrant and ripe but firm
    2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
    1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
    10 large lemon verbena leaves

    Make the biscuits:
    Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

    In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter slices and work them in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture looks like a coarse meal with some larger, pea-sized butter bits. Whisk together the yogurt and cream; gradually add this to the flour mixture, stirring and tossing gently, until the mixture begins to come together. (You may need to knead it gently with your hands to make this happen. If it still won't come together, dribble in a bit more heavy cream until it does.)

    Gently press the dough into a ball, and place it on a surface dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal over the dough, and press it into a 1" high round. Use a fluted 2 1/2" biscuit cutter (or 3" for larger shortcakes) to cut out rounds as close together as possible. Place the biscuits 2" apart on the lined baking sheet. Gently press the dough scraps together and repeat, until you've used up all the dough.

    Brush the tops of the biscuits with heavy cream, and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the biscuits until their tops and bottoms are golden, about 15-20 minutes for the small ones, rotating the biscuits halfway through for even baking. Let cool at least 20 minutes.

    The biscuits are best when freshly baked, but extras can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. Re-toast before eating.

    Prepare the nectarines:
    Slice the nectarines in half and remove their pits. Slice each half in half again, then cut each quarter crosswise into 1/4" thick slices. Place the nectarines in a medium bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice. Use a pair of scissors to snip the verbena leaves into thin threads into the nectarines; toss to combine. Taste, adding more lemon or sugar if you feel the need either. Let the nectarines sit for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes to draw their juices into a sauce, and extract the flavor of the lemon verbena.

    Make the chantilly:
    In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream, yogurt and honey. Whip with a balloon whisk or the whip attachment until soft peaks form. (If you over-whip and the mixture becomes grainy, fold in a tablespoon or two of heavy cream until it smooths out again.) Store the mixture airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if you like.

    Assemble the shortcakes:
    Slice the biscuits in half crosswise and place the bottom half of each on a plate. Spoon the nectarines and their juices over the biscuit, letting extra nectarines fall onto the plate. Top with a big scoop of the honey chantilly, and top with an off-set biscuit top. Serve immediately.

    White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes on a table
    close up of White Nectarine and Lemon Verbena Shortcakes

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Todd @ HonestlyYUM says

      July 26, 2013 at 4:44 am

      This is MY kinda dessert. Not overly heavy. A little pastry, little cream, little herb, and a little fruit. Very well balanced indeed. And your presentation is straight out of a fine-dining restaurant. Beautiful. Just beautiful.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        August 04, 2013 at 2:32 am

        Aww! Thank you, Todd! :) (Your comment has reminded me that I need a Pimm's cup, stat!)

        Reply
    2. carey says

      July 27, 2013 at 12:54 am

      I CANNOT believe that person didn't respond to your note. If I found that on some herbs in my garden, I would be so excited to share them! Good grief. I think it's probably best to just assume they never saw the note, because I can't even imagine the type of person that doesn't respond to that, especially when they're a return of ice cream involved!

      Anyway, I'm glad you were able to "forage" some to make this, because it looks and sounds so delicious. Fruit and yogurt and herbs make for such an awesome summer dessert, and I am ALL about the cornmeal biscuits. Yum!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        August 04, 2013 at 2:31 am

        Right?! Or maybe they're lactose intolerant! "Forage" sounds much better than "steal" - I'll have to incorporate that into my vocabulary more. :) Thank you for the sweet comment, Carey!

        Reply
    3. Deb says

      July 27, 2013 at 1:05 am

      Shhhh....I have Lemon Verbena growing in one of my herb pots! I might need to try your scrumptious nectarine shortcake with a few lavish sprigs!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        August 04, 2013 at 2:01 am

        Lucky you! Let me know how you like it. :)

        Reply
    4. Anonymous says

      August 03, 2013 at 2:35 pm

      I have to cut the lemon verbena bush in our front yard down to the ground every couple months, and it regrows back to 4 feet tall within a month. We have SO MUCH. I've been hunting for recipes to use some of it! Glad to see a couple here. Thank you! Oh, and the printer friendly program that lets me delete parts of the post is AWESOME!

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        August 03, 2013 at 2:36 pm

        Just reread that and realized it seems rude - love the post, but the recipe book doesn't need the whole thing!

        Reply
      • Alanna says

        August 04, 2013 at 2:01 am

        No offense taken! When printer ink is more expensive than human blood, we all want to conserve as much as possible. :) I'm deeply envious of your vigorous verbena plant! Let me know how the recipes come out. I'm always looking for more ways to use it, too, so please let me know what you like to do with yours!

        Reply
    5. Khadija says

      February 15, 2019 at 4:24 pm

      Omg! 😫😫😫 Please make a gluten free version of this recipe!!

      Reply

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    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef-turned food photographer, stylist, videographer, and award-winning cookbook author. The Bojon Gourmet is a celebration of the sweet, savory, and occasionally boozy recipes that I create in my San Francisco kitchen. About →

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    My cookbook, Alternative Baker, contains 100+ recipes featuring corn, oat, chestnut, almond, buckwheat, sorghum, and other gluten-free flours. Find out where to get your copy! →

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