Cornmeal-Cookie Sundaes with Warm Fruit

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons bourbon 
• 0.8 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 large eggs 
• 3  firm-ripe nectarines thinly sliced
• 1 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup granulated sugar 
• 0.8 teaspoon ground cardamom 
• 6 servings accompaniment: butter pecan ice cream 
• 0.5 tablespoon juice of lemon fresh
• 0.3 cup brown sugar light packed
• 4  firm-ripe plums red thinly sliced
• 0.8 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla 
• 0.5 cup cornmeal yellow

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• plastic wrap
• hand mixer
• wooden spoon
• wax paper

Directions

1. Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
2. Add flour and cornmeal and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended.
3. Halve dough and pat into 2 disks (dough will be very soft). Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 4 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to 1/4 inch thick.
6. Remove top sheet of wax paper and cut 3 cookies with fluted cutter, leaving cutouts in place. Replace wax paper.
7. Roll out remaining piece of dough and cut 3 more cookies in same manner. Chill both pieces of dough until firm, about 15 minutes.
8. Carefully transfer cookies to an ungreased large baking sheet and keep chilled. Reroll scraps between 2 sheets wax paper and cut out 2 more cookies (for a total of 8; you'll have 2 extra in case of breakage).
9. Transfer to baking sheet with other cookies.
10. Bake cookies in upper third of oven until edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
11. Transfer to a rack and dust with confectioners sugar.
12. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, then add brown sugar and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 1 minute.
13. Add fruit and bourbon (if using) and sauté, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender, about 5 minutes (sauce will be red).
14. Remove from heat.
15. Place 1 cookie on each of 6 dessert plates and dust again with confectioners sugar. Spoon some warm fruit topping over each cookie, then top with a scoop of ice cream.
16. Dough can chill up to 8 hours (overnight).Cookies keep in an airtight container (preferably tin) at room temperature 1 week.