Chocolate Shortcakes With Sour Cherry Topping

Chocolatey biscuits topped with dollops of whipped cream and drizzled with a sour-sweet cherry topping.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Cherry Topping

• 5  cups  fresh sour cherries, pitted (water-packed are fine too, drain well)
• 3⁄4 cup honey, plus
• 1⁄4 cup  balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

• Shortcake Biscuits

• 2  cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2⁄3 cup  cocoa
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 lb  cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2  large  egg yolks
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk

• Garnish

• 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (+ additional)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. For cherry topping: In small saucepan combine all topping ingredients and cook over medium-high heat, until cherries start to release their juice and the liquid thickens and becomes syrupy, 6-7 minutes; cool and refrigerate until needed (you can make this up to 1 day ahead).
2. For shortcake biscuits: Preheat oven to 350F and set rack in middle of oven; combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl until blended; rub butter into flour mixture with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal; in a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with buttermilk to blend; add to flour mixture and stir just until evenly moistened; turn dough out onto a floured board and, with lightly floured hands, knead just until it comes together (if the dough is very sticky, sprinkle on some additional all purpose flour); pat out to about 1 1/4 inches thick and cut into rounds with a 3 inch cutter; gather dough scraps and pat out again to make remaining shortcake biscuits; set 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet; bake biscuits for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden-brown, and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
3. For whipped cream: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
4. To assemble: Slice shortcake biscuits in half and set bottoms of biscuits on 6 dessert plates; dollop generously with whipped cream and distribute cherry topping evenly over the cream; place biscuit tops over cherries at a slight angle and sprinkle tops lightly with confectioners' sugar.