Chocolate Shortcakes With Sour Cherry Topping

Submitted by evelynathens

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

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 16
• 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.

Reviews

[A Messy Cook]

Yummy! This rating is just for the shortcakes (I used strawberries instead). I reduced the sugar by half and thought they were perfect that way...the dark chocolatey flavor really shone through. Also, I made 9 drop biscuits rather than rolling out the dough. It worked just fine. :)

 

[PaulaG]

The addition of balsamic vinegar to the cherry topping adds a wonderful richness. This is definitely an adult dessert that is decadent. The only thing I changed was increasing the cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon. Delicious!