Coco-Berry Shortcakes

HokiesLady's Note:

From an old Woman's Day magazine from 1999. Just a nice twist on a standard shortcake recipe. I loved the addition of the coconut to the shortcakes. Feel free to use whatever fruit is in season for the berries - I love a combination of strawberries and blueberries, but raspberries are good too. These take a bit of time but are well worth it.

• Total Time: 57 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 8.0 shortca ...

• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut , loosely packed
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 tablespoons cold butter , cut into small pieces
• ½-2⁄3; cup light coconut milk (from a 14 oz can)
• 1 teaspoon additional light coconut milk , for brushing on shortcakes
• 1 tablespoon additional sugar
• 2 (6 ounce) baskets fresh strawberries
• 1 (4 ounce) basket fresh blueberries

Garnish

• toasted coconut

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F Have ready a large cookie sheet and a 3 inch star cutter. (If you don't have a star cutter, use can use a round cutter).
2. Process coconut and sugar in a food processor until coconut is finely chopped.
3. Mix together the flour and the baking powder in a medium bowl.
4. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Pour 1/2 c of the lite coconut milk in with the mixture and stir with a spoon until mixture clumps together and is slightly sticky, adding more liquid, a little at a time, if necessary (up to the 2/3 cup in total).
6. (Note: You can mix the shortcake dough in a processor too. Process the dry ingredients briefly to mix and then scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With motor running, add coconut milk and process just until mixture leaves sides of bowl. Remove blades and then dough.).
7. Place dough on a floured work surface; flour top.
8. Pat to a little more than 3/4 inch thickness.
9. Dipping cutter into flour for each, cut as many forms as possible from dough; then gently pat scraps together, fold over once, press dough out to 3/4 inches and cut as many more forms as possible from that. Repeat until you have 8 forms.
10. Place forms 2 inches apart on an ungreased cooke sheet.
11. Brush top lightly with the 1 tbls of reserved coconut milk, then sprinkle with coarse or granulated sugar.
12. Bake 12 minutes or until slightly puffed, bottoms are brown and tops are pale gold.
13. Gently slide cakes onto a wire rack and cool completely.
14. Shortly before serving, split shortcakes in half (using a serrated knife and gentle sawing motion makes it easier and less likely to tear the shortcake).
15. Fill with berries and top with whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.