An easy and cute little dessert made with layers of juicy nectarines, whipped cream, and fresh summer cherries.
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Cherries. Nectarines. They're good enough and sweet enough on their own, but when you see cherries and nectarines at the market at the same time? Do yourself a favor and buy them both. Because cherries and nectarines taste divine together.
Here's the proof! My Mason Jar Dessert has gleaming, colorful layers of cherries and nectarines. Between them are easy-to-bake shortcake rounds that soak up the fruit juices. And with these sweets in a jar, don't forget the homemade whipped cream! (I never do!)
Cherries in New England
Cherry blossoms don't appear quite as early in New England as they do in Washington D.C. but when they do, it feels like magic. After what are typically the worst, most bone-chilling months of the winter season (January and February) and the rainy/snowy/muddy mud season of March, these early flowers that burst forth in April are truly exciting.
Getting your hands on the actual ripened cherries requires keeping a close eye on the trees once the blooms are gone. It's like you wake up one morning and the green, unripened cherries are suddenly a deep and brilliant red, threatening to fall off the branches—and the birds have likely already spotted them. (They had a long winter, too!)
The window to pick fresh cherries lasts only a week or two, but once we have the fruits it's such a joy to bake with them. We were lucky enough to have two small cherry trees at our house in Vermont, and I loved packing the freshly-picked beauties into galettes and small pies. And dipping them in chocolate, too!
Cherries and cream shortcake is another delightful, summery treat to make with fresh cherries. These simple dessert parfaits are sweet and creamy, and most importantly let the flavor of fleeting, fresh cherries really shine. Just as they do in this recipe.
Why you'll love this recipe
This cute little dessert in a jar is rustic and casual—yet it's so pretty it would be just as nice to serve at a dinner party as it is to enjoy rocking on the front porch while watching the lightning bugs come out.
Because it's easy to assemble, cherry nectarine mason jar desserts are fun to make with kids. They're similar to dessert shooters on restaurant menus!
The recipe makes six servings, and because they're portioned into individual jars, it's a cinch for everyone to help themselves.
And for those times you need a make-ahead dessert? This recipe fits the bill quite neatly! The mason jar desserts can be assembled and held in the fridge for up to an hour before serving. Or, you can prep the separate ingredients days ahead of time—like baking the shortcakes and slicing the fruit. Then, just layer everything into mason jars when you're ready to eat.
With luscious and juicy fruit these shortcake desserts in jars are refreshing, and at the same time so indulgent, thanks to sweetened whipped cream and tender shortcakes.
🔪 How to make Cherry Nectarine Mason Jar Desserts
Ingredients:
- Cherries: Pick up the best fresh cherries you can find, at your farmer's market or store.
- Nectarines: Ripe nectarines will have yellow and orangey-red color, and no green at all. They should be firm with just a little give when you squeeze them and have a fruity aroma.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar goes into the shortcakes and also macerates the fruit.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is good to use here; my preferred brand is King Arthur Flour.
- Baking powder: This leavener helps lighten and lift the shortcakes to make them tender.
- Butter: One reason the shortcakes taste so good is because they're made with butter!
- Cream: You'll need heavy cream to make the whipped cream as well as half-and-half for the shortcakes.
- Confectioners' sugar: It blends smoothly into the whipped cream.
- Salt: Just a pinch enhances the flavor of the shortcakes.
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- Step 1: Let those cherries and nectarines get juicy! Toss the sliced fruit with sugar in a bowl and let everything sit while you prepare the shortcake.
- Step 2: Mix dry ingredients together and then cut in cubes of cold butter. Stir in cream. Give the shortcake dough a couple of quick kneads before rolling it out.
- Step 3: Use a small, round cutter to cut out rounds. Place the rounds on a baking sheet and give them a quick chill in the fridge.
- Step 4: Bake the shortcakes until they're lightly browned.
- Step 5: Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar into whipped cream.
- Step 6: Layer the cakes in small mason jars with spoonfuls of juicy fruit and sweetened whipped cream. Finish each jar with a dollop of cream and a whole cherry on top, then dig in!
Tips:
- Mason jars are cute, inexpensive, and put the pretty layers of this dessert on display. If you don’t have half-pint-sized mason jars, consider picking some up. They’re great for these mini desserts, and also for small cocktails like gin and tonics or margaritas. Or, you can always use small glass dishes or dessert bowls instead.
FAQs
While I love this dessert with the season's freshest cherries, I get it—they may not be available. If that's the case then yes: you can substitute frozen cherries. Let them thaw, and drain off excess juice so that the filling doesn't get too soggy once assembled. The thawed fruit will be a little softer in the mason jar desserts, but they'll still be absolutely delicious.
Macerating fruit (like the nectarines and cherries in this recipe) means stirring sliced or chopped fruit with sugar, and then letting them rest so they release their juices. If you want your fruit a little less sweet, you can cut back on the amount of sugar that gets stirred with the chopped nectarines and cherries.
You can assemble this dessert in a jar recipe up to an hour before serving. Or, you can prepare the components ahead of time, like
baking the shortcake rounds up to three days in advance, making whipped cream one day in advance, and pitting and slicing the fruit one day in advance. Keep the sliced fruits covered in the fridge until you need them.
In pastry making, short means a dough with a high percentage of fat to flour. When baked, short pastries and cookies are rich and crumbly. Shortcakes are made with butter, lard, or shortening, and when baked they have a biscuit-like texture. My shortcakes are made with all butter, which makes them really delicious.
Shortcakes have a tender, crumbly texture that's similar to a biscuit. Because they're made with sugar, they have a light sweetness, too. The rustic, homey texture and taste of shortcakes makes them a perfect accompaniment to juicy, fresh fruits and fruit sauces—especially when topped with sweetened whipped cream.
Individual mason jar shortcakes—aren't they adorable?? They're easy to assemble and fun to make with kids. Have them after dinner or serve them at a potluck! They also make an impressive treat at barbecues and parties.
Find the recipe for Cherry Nectarine Shortcake Mason Jar Desserts below. And here are more sweet, fruity desserts:
💬 How do you like these mason jar desserts? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Cherry Nectarine Shortcake Mason Jar Desserts
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Equipment
- 6 half-pint glass mason jars
Ingredients
Fruit:
- 2 cups fresh cherries (about 10 ounces or 30 cherries)
- 4 nectarines
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the shortcake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached (plus extra for rolling out dough)
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter (2 ounces), cold
- ⅓ cup half-and-half
For the whipped cream:
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Macerate the fruit:
- Use a small paring knife to peel the skins from the nectarines. Slice out and remove the pit. Cut the nectarines into small pieces and place them in a medium bowl.
- Save out 6 whole cherries to top the finished desserts.
- Remove the pits from the remaining cherries, then slice them into small pieces. Add them to the bowl with the nectarines.
- Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of sugar over the fruit and toss everything together. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the fruit aside until it's time to assemble the trifles.
Make the shortcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, the ½ cup + 1 tablespoon of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Slice the cold butter into small cubes. Stir the butter cubes to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients so that the mixture looks coarse. If any large pieces remain, use your fingers to squeeze and flatten them.
- Add in the half-and-half and use a spoon to toss and combine the mixture.
- Dust a work surface with flour and pour out the flour-butter mixture. Sprinkle the top with a bit more flour and knead by hand for just 2 or 3 minutes until it has just come together into a dough. (Add a sprinkle more flour to the work surface or dough to keep it from getting too sticky.)
- Roll the dough out to a ½-inch thickness.
- Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough. (If you don't have a cookie cutter this size, look around your kitchen: measure the lid from a large spice bottle or top of a glass bottle and you'll probably find one that's 2 inches. If not, draw a 2-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper, cut it out and use it as a template.)
- Place the shortcake dough circles on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Pop the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill the dough circles.
- Bake the shortcakes for 8-9 minutes, until they are puffed and just beginning to brown. Remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream:
- Chill a bowl and whisk attachment for your mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes, then assemble them on your mixer.
- Pour in the heavy cream into the bowl and turn the mixer on high. Whip the cream for a minute or two, then add in the confectioners' sugar.
- Continue whipping the cream on high speed for another 2-4 minutes until it is thick and has peaks.
Assemble the trifles:
- Place one shortcake round in the bottom of each mason jar. If the shortcakes are a little too big to fit in the jar, use your cookie cutter or a sharp knife to trim a little off the outside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the macerated nectarines and cherries including some of the sugary juices to each jar.
- Top the fruit with about 1 tablespoon of whipped cream.
- Place another shortcake round on top of the cream, top with 2 more tablespoons of fruit and juices. Finish the top of the trifle with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Add a cherry to the top of each trifle!
- Serve immediately. The mason jar desserts may also be assembled and refrigerated for up to an hour before serving. Makes 6 servings.
Notes
- Make-ahead options: the desserts should be assembled no more than an hour before serving, but here are three things you can do ahead of time: you can bake the shortcake rounds up to three days in advance. If you are making your own whipped cream you can do this a day in advance. You can also pit and slice the cherries and nectarines the day before you plan to serve the desserts. Keep the sliced fruits covered in the fridge until you need them.
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