Chocolate Shortcakes With Bananas and Caramel

Submitted by Vino Girl

"From Cooking Light January 2007"

 

• Ready In: 52mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• Shortcakes

• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1⁄2 cup fat-free buttermilk

• Filling

• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
• 1⁄8 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
• 2 medium bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. To prepare the shortcakes, combine flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
3. Cut in 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Add buttermilk; stir just until moist.
5. Knead lightly in bowl 5 to 6 times.
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Cut dough into 8 wedges, cutting into, but not through, dough.
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until just firm to the touch.
9. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
10. Place shortcake on a cutting board or work surface; cut along score lines with a serrated knife to form 8 wedges.
11. To prepare filling, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; stir gently just until sugar dissolves.
12. Cook, without stirring, until pale golden (about 4 minutes), gently swirling pan if needed to cook sugar evenly.
13. Remove from heat; add cream and 1 teaspoon butter, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cool 5 minutes.
14. Place whipped topping and 1/8 teaspoon cocoa in a medium bowl; fold just until combined.
15. Split shortcakes in half horizontally using a serrated knife.
16. Arrange about 1/4 cup bananas over bottom half of each shortcake; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon caramel sauce, about 2 tablespoons whipped topping mixture, and top of shortcake. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon caramel sauce over top of each shortcake.

Reviews

[Manami]

Hello kburie, isn't this one of the most decadent desserts you have tried? It is delicious! We served it one evening and we had to make smaller portions as it was so much in demand. We used Smucker's caramel sauce and Hershey's unsweetened cocoa, it was just marvelous! Thank you for sharing, Diane :=)