Name: Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced; 2/3 cup sugar, divided; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup baking cocoa; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter; 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided; 3/4 cup half-and-half cream; 1 large egg white, lightly beaten; 1 tablespoon coarse sugar; 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream; 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; 3/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping; 10 fresh strawberries or grated chocolate, optional; Grated chocolate, optional

Chocolate strawberry shortcakes are an all-encompassing dessert. They have everything: soft and chocolaty shortcake, fresh strawberries and fluffy whipped cream—all topped with a bit of hot fudge.

Ingredients

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced

2/3 cup sugar, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided

3/4 cup half-and-half cream

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping

10 fresh strawberries or grated chocolate, optional

Grated chocolate, optional

Instructions

1 Sweeten the strawberries

2 Combine the strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar; refrigerate if desired. Editor's Tip: This process is called maceration, and it helps draw out the strawberry juices and sweeten the berries. You can let the strawberries sit for 30 minutes or even overnight before serving the shortcakes.

3 Make the shortcake dough

4 In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar. Cut in the butter and 2/3 cup chocolate chips until crumbly. Add half-and-half and stir until just moistened. Editor's Tip: Cutting the butter into the dry ingredients means chopping your cold butter into tiny chunks. Do this with a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers. When your dough cooks, the butter steams and creates small bubbles in the shortcakes.

5 Bake the chocolate shortcakes

6 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Divide the dough into eight patties, about 3/4-inch thick. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush them with egg whites, then sprinkle with coarse sugar and top with the remaining chips. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the shortcakes comes out clean. Let them cool.

7 Make the whipped cream

8 In a small bowl, beat the whipping cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form, then refrigerate. Editor's Tip: The difference between soft and stiff peaks is just a few extra minutes of whipping time. But don't go overboard or you may end up with butter. A stand mixer with a whisk attachment makes this easy (and fast) work, but a hand whisk works if you have the stamina.

9 Assemble and serve

10 To assemble, split the shortcakes in half. Place the cake bottoms on dessert plates. Top with about two-thirds of the strawberries, whipped cream and fudge topping. Replace the shortcake tops, then top with the remaining berries, cream and topping. Garnish with chocolate, if desired. Editor's Tip: It helps build Insta-worthy chocolate strawberry shortcakes if the berries, shortcakes and whipped cream are around the same temperature. Meaning: Don't build with hot cakes or you may end up with a molten mess.