Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake is one of my favorite desserts. Perfectly moist shortbread or biscuits, freshly whipped cream and juicy, flavorful strawberries. I mean, what’s not to love? When I saw this recipe, I knew had to make it. And let me tell you, I’m so glad I did, because it was amazing. The only mistake was that I didn’t make enough for the next day as my family finished the entire thing!

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake
Serves 6

Ingredients
For the shortcakes:
1-½ cup flour
½ cups cocoa powder
½ teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ cups sugar
8 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cups whole milk
¼ cups carbonated water
¼ cups cold brewed coffee

For the strawberries:
2-½ cups chopped strawberries
½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the Chantilly Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
½ cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoons real vanilla extract

Directions
In a food processor combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar and pulse until combined. Add the butter and process until it is all incorporated and it resembles coarse meal. Add the milk, water and coffee and process until combined.

These are more like drop biscuits than roll ‘em out and cut ‘em variety. Take about 1/4 a cup of the dough and form a disk, about one inch high, with your hand and place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Put your shortcakes in the fridge and allow to chill for 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350F. Bake for about 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool.
In a bowl, combine your strawberries, powdered sugar and lemon juice. Mix until combined and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Chantilly Cream sounds super fancy, but in reality it’s just whipped cream that you make with powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. It has a slightly different taste and texture that goes well with this recipe. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream, powdered sugar (between ¼ cup and ½ cup depending on how sweet you like it) and vanilla extract. Beat on high for 3-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

Once your shortcakes have cooled, top with berries and cream and serve immediately.