Triple Berry Chocolate Shortcakes

I went to a dinner party at a friends place and wanted to bring a dessert that was A. Chocolate (for selfish reasons as I was craving chocolate and hey who doesn't love chocolate?!) B. Summer worthy and C. Transportable. I thought about a cake but without a cake container or cake box they are a helluva pain to transport and in a hot car with icing? No Thanks! The answer? Individual chocolate shortcakes! Easier to make than a cake, all you have to do is pack your shortcakes in a tin, berries and whipped cream in separate containers and throw it all in a small cooler. As a bonus individually plated desserts always just seem to look nicer too. Also if you are in a time crunch (which I was!) this dessert can be made start to finish in about half an hour. Nobody needs to know you didn't sweat it out in the kitchen all day!


Triple Berry Chocolate Shortcakes
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chocolate chunks, roughly chopped
1 egg lightly beaten
3 tbsp raw sugar (or any coarse sugar to sprinkle on top)

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

fresh berries (I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
fresh mint (for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Add in cold butter and using a pastry blender or your hands mix until butter is the size of small peas. Mix in chocolate chunks
3. Add in buttermilk just until combined
4. On a lightly floured board knead dough gently until it all comes together.
5. Roll out approximately 2 cm thick, round.
6. Cut into circles using a 6cm round cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with silpat or baking paper
7. Brush the tops of the shortcakes with the beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar
8. Bake for 12-15 min. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool.
9. While shortcakes are cooling, in a mixer whip the whipping cream, slowly adding in the icing sugar and vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form
10. Slice strawberries if using.