Coconut Shortcakes With Peaches And White Chocolate Cream

Directions

1. For cream: Heat chocolate with 1/4 c. cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring till smooth. Cold to room temperature. In medium bowl, beat 3/4 c. cream to stiff peaks. Fold cream into chocolate mix in 2 additions.
2. Cover; refrigeratetill hard, about 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
3. For sauce: Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy large deep saucepan. Add in peach nectar and sugar and simmer till reduced to 1 1/2 c., about55 min.
4. Whisk in butter. Cold. (Can be prepared 8 hrs ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.)
5. For shortcakes: Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Finely grind first 4 ingredients in processor. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in Large eggs 1 at a time. Beat in extract.
6. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with cream. Spoon batter into pan. Bake till tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 min. Cold cake in pan on rack 10 min. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cold completely.
7. Cut cake into 6 wedges. Cut each wedge horizontally in half. Place cake bottoms on plates. Top with some peaches, then sauce. Top with some cream. Cover with more peaches and sauce. Prop tops against side of shortcakes.
8. Serves 6.