I remember having strawberry shortcake as a kid, and it was one of my favorites. It was usually very simple, with pound cake or angel food cake as the base, fresh strawberries with a little sugar, then topped with store-bought whipped topping. As with so many dishes from my childhood, I remember this being DELICIOUS! The stuff that memories are made of for sure!
But I wanted to improve on this most basic of recipes, and I have to say – I may have outdone myself with this one! My taste-testing usually means having a bite or two (just to make sure on the taste). For this “tasting”, I ate the whole thing!
I love raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries together. So I came up with a fresh triple-berry sauce, that would perfectly compliment a shortcake dessert! Of course it had to be topped with fresh whipped cream.
But that was not the end of my revision! I love strawberries and chocolate together, so I also wanted to incorporate CHOCOLATE into my new recipe. I needed to come up with a “chocolate shortcake” to serve as the base of my dessert. I wanted something mildly sweet, and substantial enough to hold up to the fruit and sauce I would be pouring over it. What better fits this criteria than a chocolate scone? I came up with a chocolate, chocolate chip scone, that is tender on the inside, but crunchy on the edges. It softens up to the perfect texture, as it sits overnight at room temp. I glazed it with a vanilla and coffee glaze, then drizzled each scone with some melted chocolate. They are awesome just with a cup of coffee! But my plan ultimately intends for these amazing scones to serve as the base for my triple berry shortcake! Don’t have the time or desire to make a chocolate scone? Then try a brownie, or some chocolate pound cake. The goal here is to pair the berry topping, with something chocolate.
Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Scones:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. This recipe will make 8 scones.
Ingredients:
1 2/3 c all purpose flour
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c COLD unsweetened butter
1/2 c plus 4 TBSP heavy cream
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, whisk together, and set aside.
I used to cut up the butter into little squares, but for a really tender texture to your scone, SHRED this using a box grater. Add the grated butter bits into the dry ingredients, and cut in with a pastry cutter til small bits are incorporated. Set aside.
Combine: heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Pour over butter mixture, and fold in using a rubber spatula. This should form a stiff dough. Add chocolate chips, and blend into dough. Do not overwork the dough – rather “press” it together. You should be able to see the little bits of butter in the dough. On a floured cutting board, form into an 8″ circle, about 3/4″ high. You can cut into traditional “triangle” pie shaped scones. I chose to cut round scones, since I plan to place them in the bottom of beautiful sundae style bowls!
Place the scones on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 – 18 min. They will puff up, and “crackle”. While they are cooling, prepare the simple glaze.
Glaze: 1 c powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2-3 Tbsp. hot coffee. Stir together. Glaze should be thin. You can dip the scones, or pour the glaze over them. Allow to dry.
In the microwave, melt 1 c semisweet chocolate chips, and 1-2 Tbsp. shortening. Stir til melted and thin. Drizzle over scones. Allow to dry. These can be frozen for up to 3 mo. You can thaw them as needed!
Now, you can skimp on the scones and purchase them from a bakery if you like, or if you don’t have time to make them. But DON’T skimp on the triple berry sauce! It is simple, fresh, AND delicious.
I came up with a chocolate, chocolate chip scone, that is tender on the inside, but crunchy on the edges. It softens up to the perfect texture, as it sits overnight at room temp. I glazed it with a vanilla and coffee glaze, then drizzled each scone with some melted chocolate. They are awesome just with a cup of coffee! But my plan ultimately intends for these amazing scones to serve as the base for my triple berry shortcake!
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter
- 1/2 c plus 4 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla divided (1 tsp for glaze)
- 1 cup powdered sugar for glaze
- 2-3 Tbsp hot coffee for glaze
- 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips divided (1 c for drizzle)
- 1-2 Tbsp shortening for drizzle
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1st 6 dry ingredients in a large bowl, whisk together, and set aside.
-
SHRED the butter using a box grater. Add the grated butter bits into the dry ingredients, and cut in with a pastry cutter til small bits are incorporated. Set aside.
-
Combine: heavy cream, egg, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Pour over butter mixture, and fold in using a rubber spatula. This should form a stiff dough. Add 1/2 c chocolate chips, and blend into dough. Try not to use your hands too much, as this will melt the butter. You should be able to see the little bits of butter in the dough. On a floured cutting board, form into an 8" circle, about 3/4" high. You can cut into traditional "triangle" pie shaped scones. I chose to cut round scones, since I plan to place them in the bottom of beautiful sundae style bowls!
-
Place the scones on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 18 min. They will puff up, and "crackle". While they are cooling, prepare the simple glaze.
-
Glaze: 1 c powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2-3 Tbsp. hot coffee. Stir together. Glaze should be thin. You can dip the scones, or pour the glaze over them. Allow to dry.
-
Drizzle: In the microwave, melt 1 c semisweet chocolate chips, and 1-2 Tbsp. shortening. Stir til melted and thin. Drizzle over scones. Allow to dry.
-
These can be frozen for up to 3 mo. You can thaw them as needed!
Triple Berry Sauce:
1 c strawberries, chopped
1 c blueberries
1 c raspberries
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar
Add all ingredients to a saucepan, and turn heat to med. Simmer for 10 – 15 min, stirring occasionally, til thickened and reduced by about 1/3. You don’t need water or cornstarch or flour, as the natural pectin in the berries will work magically to thicken the sauce!
Remove from heat. Pour berries into a glass bowl. I like my sauce “chunky”, so I add some additional chopped strawberries and blueberries to the mixture as it cools. This will allow some of the fruit to retain it’s shape, and some to be cooked down into the sauce. Perfect!
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
-
Add all ingredients to a saucepan, and turn heat to med. Simmer for 10 - 15 min, stirring occasionally, til thickened and reduced by about 1/3.
-
Remove from heat. Pour berries into a glass bowl. Add some additional chopped strawberries and blueberries to the mixture as it cools.
Now for the whipped cream! I use 2 c COLD heavy cream, 1/2 c powdered sugar, and 4 oz mascarpone cheese.
Whip the heavy cream and sugar in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip on med-high til stiff peaks form. I cover my mixer with a towel – otherwise you will have whipped cream everywhere! Add the mascarpone cheese at the end, to add a little extra creaminess and richness to the topping. Whip til blended and smooth.
Now it’s time to assemble the shortcake! Place a scone on a plate or in a parfait glass. Add berry topping, then whipped cream. I continued the “chocolate theme” by shaving some chocolate over the top, then garnished with a fresh strawberry. The best part of this dessert is the sauce absorbing into the chocolate scone at the bottom of the bowl! I hope you enjoy every bite!
