Cocoa Berry Shortcakes Recipes

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the shortcakes: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until sandy. Add the chocolate. Whisk 1 egg, the cream and vanilla in a glass measuring cup; stir into the flour mixture with a fork to make a shaggy dough (there will be some dry bits). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; pat flat until 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 6 rounds with a knife or cookie cutter, using the scraps for the last cake.
• Place the rounds on the baking sheet; freeze for 20 minutes. Beat the remaining egg; brush onto the cakes and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until firm, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the toppings: Toss half of the strawberries with half of the sugar in a bowl; set aside. Place the other half of each in a saucepan; cook over medium-low heat, mashing with a fork to make a thick puree, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Whip the cream with a mixer until medium peaks form; swirl in the strawberry puree.
• Split the shortcakes in half. Layer some of the strawberry cream and reserved fruit on the bottoms; cover with the shortcake tops. Finish with more strawberry cream and the remaining berries.

PERFECT BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and 3 Tbs. sugar in a medium bowl. Grate 2 Tbs. of the butter on the coarse holes of a box grater into dry ingredients; toss to coat. Repeat grating and tossing with remaining butter. Combine egg and half-and-half; pour into flour mixture. Toss with a fork to form large clumps. Lightly press clumps into a ball; add a teaspoon more half-and-half to the bowl if dough won't come together.
• Turn dough onto work surface; press into an 8-by-4- to 5-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares, placing them 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before baking.) Before baking, brush tops with optional egg white for a particularly attractive sheen. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Mix thawed and fresh berries with sugar in a bowl; let stand until sugar dissolves. With a hand mixer, beat cream to soft peaks, gradually adding 1 Tb. sugar, then vanilla.
• Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries over each cake bottom, then a dollop of whipped cream over berries. Cap with cake top and serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• To prepare shortcakes, heat oven to 400 degrees. Oil bottom of each cup in a 12-cup muffin pan. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Using a pastry blender or an electric mixer, or working by hand, cut in the butter until mixture resembles damp sand. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, vanilla and honey. Add to flour mixture, and stir until thoroughly blended.
• Put a scant 1/4 cup dough into each muffin cup. (Do not use muffin papers.) Bake until risen and firm on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool. Then remove from pan, and cool completely. Place 6 shortcakes in an airtight freezer bag, and freeze for another use.
• To prepare filling for 6 shortcakes, whip heavy cream with 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar until thick but still soft. Add 1/2 cup raspberries to cream, mashing them roughly with a fork.
• Split each shortcake in half horizontally, and place a dollop of raspberry cream onto bottom half. Add a portion of whole raspberries, and put the top back on at an angle. Sprinkle a dusting of the remaining 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar over shortcakes, and serve.

FRESH BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar and orange juice; set aside. , For shortcakes, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, orange zest and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk 1-1/2 cups cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead 8-10 times., Pat or roll out to 1-in. thickness; cut with a floured 3-in. scalloped or round biscuit cutter. Place 2 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with 1 tablespoon cream; sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes., For whipped cream, beat cream in a large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. , Just before serving, cut shortcakes in half horizontally. Place bottoms on dessert plates; top with strawberry mixture. Replace tops; dollop with whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• For biscuits:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla in medium bowl until firm peaks form. Stir cream into flour mixture until moist clumps form. Transfer mixture to lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough forms ball, about 10 turns. Pat dough out to 3/4-inch thickness. Using 3-inch cutter, cut out biscuits. Gather dough, pat out again, and cut out total of 6 biscuits. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake biscuits until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• For strawberries:
• Stir strawberries, 6 tablespoons powdered sugar, and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
• Using electric mixer, beat chilled whipping cream, sour cream, and remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Place 1 biscuit on each of 6 plates. Place large spoonful of berries with juices atop biscuits. Top with whipped cream. Pass remaining berries alongside.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch layer pans.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter or margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk, mixing until just moistened. Spread batter evenly into two prepared layer pans.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Let the mixture stand 10 minutes.
• Cover the bottom shortcake layer with half of strawberry mixture and half of the whipped topping. Top with second shortcake layer, remaining strawberry mixture and whipped topping. Drizzle with chocolate topping.

BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles peas. Pour in the cream and stir in with a fork until the dough comes together. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out 3" circles with a cutter or a glass. Repeat process until most of the dough is used.
• Transfer rounds to a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with extra sugar and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Assemble dessert by slicing biscuits in half and topping with mixed berries. Replace top half and top with more berries. Top with whipped cream

COCO-BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F Have ready a large cookie sheet and a 3 inch star cutter. (If you don't have a star cutter, use can use a round cutter).
• Process coconut and sugar in a food processor until coconut is finely chopped.
• Mix together the flour and the baking powder in a medium bowl.
• With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Pour 1/2 c of the lite coconut milk in with the mixture and stir with a spoon until mixture clumps together and is slightly sticky, adding more liquid, a little at a time, if necessary (up to the 2/3 cup in total).
• (Note: You can mix the shortcake dough in a processor too. Process the dry ingredients briefly to mix and then scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With motor running, add coconut milk and process just until mixture leaves sides of bowl. Remove blades and then dough.).
• Place dough on a floured work surface; flour top.
• Pat to a little more than 3/4 inch thickness.
• Dipping cutter into flour for each, cut as many forms as possible from dough; then gently pat scraps together, fold over once, press dough out to 3/4 inches and cut as many more forms as possible from that. Repeat until you have 8 forms.
• Place forms 2 inches apart on an ungreased cooke sheet.
• Brush top lightly with the 1 tbls of reserved coconut milk, then sprinkle with coarse or granulated sugar.
• Bake 12 minutes or until slightly puffed, bottoms are brown and tops are pale gold.
• Gently slide cakes onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• Shortly before serving, split shortcakes in half (using a serrated knife and gentle sawing motion makes it easier and less likely to tear the shortcake).
• Fill with berries and top with whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.