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.

TRIPLE BERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Transfer batter to a greased 13x9-in. pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack., For topping, in a large bowl, combine berries; add sugar and toss gently to coat. Serve with cake; top with whipped cream if desired.

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.

CHOCOLATE BERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine baking mix, cocoa and nutmeg in a medium bowl; mix well.
• Add yogurt, honey, and oil, stirring until a soft dough forms.
• Drop dough by large spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, 1 inch apart, forming 6 shortcakes.
• Bake shortcakes until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
• Place baking sheet on a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
• Combine strawberries and sugar in a small bowl.
• Slice each cooled shortcake in half horizontally; place bottom halves on individual plates.
• Divide whipped cream and strawberries among shortcake bottoms.
• Top with remaining shortcake halves.
• Serve immediately.

COCOA-BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder.
• Cut in margarine till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Make a well in the center; add skim milk all at once.
• Stir just till dough clings together.
• Drop in equal portions onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cool slightly on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, for banana cream, in a medium bowl mash banana with a fork until smooth. (You should have about 1/2 cup).
• Add whipped topping, yogurt, honey and nutmeg; stir till smooth.
• Reserve 6 berries for garnish; slice remaining berries.
• To assemble, split cocoa biscuits in half crosswise.
• Set tops aside.
• Arrange strawberry slices on bottoms.
• Dollop about 2 tablespoons of the banana cream mixture over sliced berries on each biscuit.
• Top with the biscuit tops.
• Dollop 1 tablespoons of the remaining banana cream on top of each of the assembled shortcakes.
• Garnish with the reserved whole strawberries.