Month-of-Few Ingredients: Shortwork Shortcakes

You know that DH has a sweet tooth. Big time. But you also know he doesn’t care for big servings or super-sweet desserts. Enter the chocolate shortcake.

The first night I served these shortcakes, I cut the shortcake in half through the middle. I put on a dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries. The second time, I served the two cut pieces side by side and topped them with vanilla ice cream and hot caramel.

These shortcakes are versatile. Create a chocolate crumble topping for pudding or ice cream. Layer crumbled short cake in a parfait glass with cherry pie filling and pecans to make a faux Black Forest dessert. Use your imagination!

Shortwork Shortcake (makes 8 shortcakes)

3 tablespoon sugar

1 cup self-rising flour (see NOTE below)

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon, vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix sugar, flour, and cocoa powder together with a whisk.

With a spoon, drizzle in the cream and mix to a thick batter. Halfway through the cream, add the vanilla, then finish incorporating the cream without overmixing.

The dough will be thick and lumpy. Line a cookie sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

Using a 2-tablespoon cookie dough scoop, drop 8 balls of dough on the cookie sheet.

Slightly flatten the balls then put in oven for 12 minutes.

Put shortcakes on a cookie rack to cool.

DH’s Rating: Five Tongues Up  “Very tasty. Lots of different textures.” He hadn’t eaten chocolate shortcake before, and it was a hit! I like chocolate. But DH LOVES chocolate. I served this with a blueberry/strawberry mixture and whipped cream (the real thing, not canned), and he almost licked the plate. The cocoa in the batter keeps the shortcake from being too sweet.

NOTE: If you don’t have self-rising flour make your own. To a cup of flour, add 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt. Sift three to five times to get ingredients evenly mixed.

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Twitter: #recipe for Shortwork Shortcakes (chocolate!) by @good2tweat on Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time at http://bit.ly/2l2V6SK

Facebook: Sharon Arthur Moore-Author writes the “Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time” blog. It's posting its annual February Month-of recipes. This month's recipes have 2-5 ingredients. Today make these Shortwork Shortcakes at http://bit.ly/2l2V6SK

A reminder:

House rules for what counts as an ingredient:

Salt and pepper are not ingredients.

Oil is not an ingredient when it’s for the cooking pan, not the recipe.

Water is not an ingredient.