Cocoa Berry Shortcakes Recipes

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:

• Make the shortcakes:
• Into a bowl sift together the cocoa powder, the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the cream and stir the mixture with a fork until it forms a dough. Divide the dough in half, arrange each half in a mound on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake the shortcakes in the middle of a preheated 425°F. oven for 12 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centers comes out with crumbs clinging to it. Transfer the shortcakes to a rack and let them cool.
• In a bowl mash 3/4 cup of the raspberries with a fork, stir in 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and the framboise, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and stir in the remaining 3/4 cup raspberries. In a small bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream until it holds soft peaks, add the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Carefully cut the shortcakes in half horizontally with a serrated knife and with a metal spatula transfer the bottom half of each to an individual plate. (The shortcakes are delicate and crumble easily.) Top each bottom half with half the raspberry mixture, divide the whipped cream between the 2 shortcakes, and with the spatula carefully top each serving with the top half of a shortcake. Sprinkle the shortcakes with the confectioners' sugar and garnish the plates with the mint sprigs.

CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• In medium bowl, toss strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar until coated. Let stand 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, cocoa, 2 tablespoons sugar, the milk and butter until soft dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by about 1/3 cupfuls onto cookie sheet.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until tops of shortcakes appear dry and cracked. Cool 15 minutes. Using serrated knife, split warm shortcakes. Fill and top with strawberries and whipped topping.

BLUEBERRY SHORTCAKES WITH COCONUT-LIME WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Make the shortcakes: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter; pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the heavy cream and vanilla; pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; gently pat into a 5-by-7 1/2-inch rectangle.
• Cut out 6 rounds with a 2 1/2-inch-round cutter; place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush the shortcake tops with heavy cream, then sprinkle with sugar and the coconut chips. Bake until golden and the coconut is lightly browned, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the blueberry mixture: Toss the blueberries with the sugar, lime juice and salt in a large bowl. Let sit until juicy, at least 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, make the whipped cream: Beat the heavy cream and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in the coconut cream and lime zest until just incorporated. (Do not overstir or the mixture will become too loose.)
• Split the shortcakes. Stir the mint into the blueberry mixture and spoon onto the shortcake bottoms. Top with the whipped cream, then the shortcake tops.

CHOCOLATE SHORTCAKES WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM, STRAWBERRIES AND FUDGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk cream, chocolate syrup, vanilla and dissolved espresso powder in small bowl.
• Blend flour, 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in processor. Add 1/4 cup chilled butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal. Add chocolate-cream mixture and blend, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form.
• Turn dough out onto work surface. Gather dough into ball; divide into 6 equal pieces. Using lightly floured hands, form each piece into 2-inch-high, 2-inch-diameter mound. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing shortcakes 3 inches apart (shortcakes will spread). Brush tops of shortcakes with melted butter. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar.
• Bake shortcakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheet. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven about 5 minutes before continuing.)
• Cut shortcakes horizontally in half. Whisk banana liqueur into warm Fudge Sauce. Spoon scant 1/3 cup warm sauce onto each of 6 plates. Place bottoms of shortcakes onto sauce. Top with scoop of ice cream. Spoon strawberries over. Add shortcake tops and serve.