Why We're Adding Chocolate to Our Strawberry Shortcakes, Now & Forever

When I was growing up, there was no luxury greater than a package of Shari’s Berries, which arrived in the mail once or twice a year, a gift from one of my parents or their friends for a birthday or anniversary or Valentine’s. Underneath layers of packaging hid the strawberries themselves (this was before Shari’s Berries, which now owns the domain berries.com—what a world!—had expanded to sell cherries, truffles, cheesecakes, and cookies, among other treats).

They were the size of sugar plums, perfectly tear drop–shaped, and covered, stem to tip, in a shellac of tempered, elaborately decorated chocolate—almost like each one had gone for a gel manicure. The chocolate, sweet and milky, cracked sharply under the pressure of teeth, giving way to a chilled berry beneath. We’d keep them in our fridge for a week or so, admiring their beauty. Towards the end of their lifespan, I’d pick off the chocolate, its underside impressed with a pattern of strawberry seeds, and leave the now-soggy fruit behind for a less picky family member (surely a sin).

22 Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Heavy Cream

Read Article

44 Summer Dessert Recipes Because I Scream, You Scream, We All—You Know

Read Article

I haven’t had a Shari’s berry (which I will always pronounce “Shari’s barry”) in years, but the excitement of receiving those Fabergé-esque strawberries in the mail bestowed in me the belief that the combination of chocolate and strawberries is celebratory and romantic. So when I was brainstorming how on earth to mess with a perfect thing—the strawberry shortcake, where lightly sweet and rather plain biscuits serve as a flattering backdrop to bright red, syrupy berries—I immediately thought of adding chocolate. With rich biscuits that are chocolatey but not overwhelming, these feel fancier and more decadent than their classic counterparts.

The shortcakes themselves are drop biscuits, inspired by these amazing ones from the brilliant Smitten Kitchen that have a crunchy raw sugar surface and an inside that’s fluffy and tender thanks to egg yolks, butter, and the leavening power of baking powder and baking soda. But here, unsweetened cocoa powder stands in for some of the flour and chunks of chocolate create pockets of melty sweetness.

The rest of the shortcake is classic: softly whipped cream (you can lean into the chocolate-strawberry pairing by adding cocoa powder to this, too) and macerated berries. You’ll want to use the ripest, most delicious berries you can find, but letting even blah fruit hang out in a little sugar will make it better. And if the idea of chocolate plus raspberries or cherries is more appealing to you, use those fruits instead (or go with a combination).

Of course, these biscuits are so good on their own—like oversized, just-sweet-enough chocolate scones—that you don’t need berries at all. Break one open and spread it with jam or dollop with crème fraîche. These days, that’s my kind of romance and luxury—and I don’t have to wait for the mail to come to have it.

Strawberry Chocolate Shortcakes

View Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate shortcakes

1 3/4	cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
1/2	cup and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (50 grams)
2 1/4	teaspoons baking powder
3/4	teaspoon baking soda
1/3	cup granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon kosher salt
6	tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks (85 grams)
2	egg yolks
1	cup heavy cream
2	ounces chocolate, finely chopped (choose bittersweet, semisweet or any you enjoy
3	tablespoons raw or coarse sanding sugar

1 3/4	cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
1/2	cup and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (50 grams)
2 1/4	teaspoons baking powder
3/4	teaspoon baking soda
1/3	cup granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon kosher salt

6	tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks (85 grams)
2	egg yolks
1	cup heavy cream
2	ounces chocolate, finely chopped (choose bittersweet, semisweet or any you enjoy
3	tablespoons raw or coarse sanding sugar

Assembly

1 1/2	pounds strawberries, hulled, halved or quartered if large
3	tablespoons granulated sugar, or more if your strawberries aren't very ripe or sweet
1	pinch kosher salt
1	cup heavy or whipping cream (235 ml)

1 1/2	pounds strawberries, hulled, halved or quartered if large
3	tablespoons granulated sugar, or more if your strawberries aren't very ripe or sweet

1	pinch kosher salt
1	cup heavy or whipping cream (235 ml)