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Pumpkin Shortcakes with Cinnamon Apples and Maple Whipped Cream Cheese

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Ingredients
  

For the Shortcakes:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed 
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold 
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin

For the Cinnamon Apples:

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 5 large apples, peeled and sliced
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch 
  • 2 tsp. water

For the Maple Cream Cheese:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp. maple syrup
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

To prepare the shortcakes:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
  • In a medium bowl. mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together.
  • Grate the cold butter into the flour and gently stir to coat the morsels in the flour; be careful to not fully incorporate the butter; the goal is to still see morsels of cold butter in the dough once the biscuits are ready for baking.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and pumpkin; gently stir it into the flour mixture.
  • Turn dough out onto a clean counter.
  • The dough will look a bit messy, but do your best to bring it together by patting it down and folding it over about 7 or 8 times; do not overwork the dough.
  • Flatten the dough to a ¾ to 1-inch thick layer.
  • Use a 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter or the opening of a glass to cut out 7 or 8 rounds.
  • Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

To prepare the cinnamon apples:

  • In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter
  • Add in the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir until the apples are coated.
  • Add the water, and cook the apples for about 10 minutes until soft.
  • In a cup or small bowl, combine the cornstarch with a couple teaspoons of water to make a slurry.
  • Add to the apple mixture and bring to a boil, stirring until the mixture thickens.
  • Remove from the heat as these should cool down a bit before layering them onto the stacks; otherwise, the whipped cream will be melted.

To prepare the maple cream cheese:

  • In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
  • Slowly beat in the maple and cinnamon.
  • Fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.

To assemble and serve:

  • Slice the biscuits in half.
  • Add a layer of apples and maple whipped cream; place the other half of the biscuit on top.
  • Top with more apples and whipped cream.
  • Drizzle with the extra sauce from the apples.

Notes

The cream cheese needs to be really soft and warm to ensure a smooth, lump-free consistency. Place the cream cheese in an oven-safe bowl and warm it in the oven for around 5 minutes to get it really nice and saucy. You could also do this in the microwave. Once warm, beat the cream cheese on its own before incorporating the maple syrup and cinnamon into the mixture.