Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake
Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake

Did I tell you guys that we went strawberry picking last week? We have a small raised bed of strawberries growing in our garden for fresh eating, but we don’t have nearly the volume of plants to pick all we need for preserving this year.

So we headed up to our local low-spray u-pick orchardโ€”it’s about 10 minutes from our house, and they let you pick everything (strawberries! blueberries! raspberries! grapes! peaches! apples! oh my!). We love it there, because, while it isn’t organic, it is sustainably grown, hyper local, great quality, and cheeeeaaaapppp. Like $1.50 per pound kind of cheap.

strawberries

We ended up picking over 70 pounds of berriesโ€”about half of that went directly in the freezer after they were hulled. Perfect for future strawberry banana smoothies! A quarter of the haul went into canning, and the remainder went into fresh eating. I have so many fun, tasty, and healthy (okay, maybe not completely) strawberry recipes to showcase for you guys over the next few weeks. I hope you’re ready for strawberry overload!

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake

I’m not sure I’ve ever let a single Spring go by without having at least one bowlful of strawberry shortcake. It’s one of my absolute favorite desserts, because not only is it a breeze to make, but it’s also the perfect combination of flavor and textures.

Now, if you’re sitting there thinking, “I don’t get the big deal about strawberry shortcake,” I venture to guess that you’ve never had real, homemade shortcakes from scratch. Those little cup-shaped, spongey cake things that they sell on the shelves of grocery stores around this time of year? Usually merchandised with bags of artificially red strawberry pie filling and cans of shelf-stable whipped cream? Those are not shortcakes. No way. No how. And if that’s your only shortcake experience, I promise you, you haven’t ever eaten a shortcake.

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake

In my world, a good shortcake is somewhere between the best, most tender and flaky buttermilk biscuit and a perfectly crumbly, but not too dry, scone. It’s strong enough to hold up to the strawberry sauce, but delicate enough to melt away in your mouth. It’s not too sweetโ€”that’s what the sweetened strawberries and whipped cream are forโ€”but just sweet enough to say “oh hey, this is a dessert!”. You could probably (and hey, maybe I did) eat one for breakfast without feeling guilty.

Now, if this all sounds awesome, but like it’s going to be complicated to create, you’d be totally wrong. Shortcakes come together in a flash. And, because I’m a little lazy, I don’t even form them into nice little biscuit or cake shapes. I just drop ’em into big heaps onto a baking sheet and pop them in the oven. Then I just call them “rustic”.

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake

I’m a big fan of classic strawberry shortcake, but I’ve been known to mix it up a bit, too. I had an idea for added chocolate to the shortcakes, but I was a bit concerned that the chocolate would overpower the strawberriesโ€”not at all the case! I used dark chocolate chips, and just a handful or two. They add a really nice richness that balances beautifully with the sweet, tartness of the strawberries. These might just be the best strawberry shortcakes I’ve ever made! Enjoy.

 
Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Adding chocolate takes the classic summertime dessert to the next level! Try Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcakes at your next cookout! Adapted from King Arthur Flour.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sliced strawberries
  • 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla, divided
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled (or frozen) and cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup heaving whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Combine the strawberries and 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Toss to coat. Refrigerate while preparing the shortcakes.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°. Fit a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. In a small measuring cup, mix together the milk and vinegar. Let rest for five minutes, or until the milk begins to look slightly curdled. Whisk in the egg and two teaspoons of vanilla and set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the butter pieces using two knives, a fork, or your fingers until well-combined. Add in the chocolate chips.
  5. Add in the egg and milk mixture, and stir until just combined—the mixture should be sticky. Drop 1/3 cup "spoonfuls" onto the prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
  7. While the shortcakes are baking, beat together the whipping cream, powdered sugar and remaining vanilla until stiff peaks form.
  8. To assemble the shortcakes, slice one in half. Place the bottom half on a plate, then top with some strawberries and whipped cream. Place the top of the shortcake on, and then top with more strawberries and whipped cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 699Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 765mgCarbohydrates: 102gFiber: 6gSugar: 36gProtein: 14g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

 

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3 Comments

  1. Oh the U-Pick farm!!! I’m so jealous. I think I’m just going to have to open one of my own. This looks AMAZING! And I’m pumped for all of the strawberry goodness headed my way via your recipes!

  2. Strawberries are really tough to grow here – they don’t produce much and they’re really small. I’m very jealous!