Grilled Pluots over Lemon-Thyme Shortcakes with a Honey-Thyme Caramel Sauce

Directions

1. Lemon-Thyme Shortcakes (Note: recipe makes enough for 8 shortcakes)
2. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the food processor. Process for about 20 seconds to distribute the baking powder/soda well through the mixture.
3. Add the butter all at once and pulse until the texture starts to look like peas. Before adding the liquids, run a fork through the butter mixture to make sure there are no large butter pieces.
4. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse a few times until the dough is just starting to come together.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured workspace, knead it lightly with your fingertips a few times and roll out to 3/4" thick. Use dough/biscuit cutter to cut out 8 circles (I used a 2-1/2" cutter). Place on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Sprinkle them with sugar. Use the rest of the dough to roll into 8 little balls in the palm of your hand. Each ball should be about 1-1/2" in diameter. Roll them in sugar and place them on the baking sheet. (The disks will be the shortcake bottoms; the balls will become domed tops.)
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until just turning a golden brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Try not to eat them yet. Or at least not too many.

1. Grilled Pluots, Thyme Caramel and Whipped Topping (this serves 4)
2. To make the Thyme Caramel, melt the brown sugar, butter, honey and lemon juice together over medium-low heat. Add a pinch of salt and the thyme leaves. Simmer for 30 seconds and turn off the heat. Let it steep for 30 minutes. Rewarm to a liquidy sauce consistency over low heat when ready to build the shortcakes.
3. Make the whipped topping by first whipping the cream until almost firm peaks. Add the creme fraiche, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Continue to whip until firm peaks. Set aside.
4. To grill the pluots, preheat the grill until the rack is very hot. Baste the cut side of the fruit with grapeseed oil and place, cut side down over direct heat. Let the fruit cook for a good 4-5 minutes. Baste the bottoms with the grapeseed oil and turn the fruit over and move to indirect heat. Continue to cook another 10 minutes or until the fruit is softened.
5. To build the dish, place a shortcake disk on the plate and top it with 2 grilled halves of the pluot. Pour some warm Thyme-Caramel over them. Place a domed shortcake piece (formed from the shortcake balls) on top. Add a dollop of the whipped cream. Pour some champagne or a glass of port and celebrate life.