When Life Hands You Strawberries…
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake
When life hands you strawberries… make CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!
A few weeks ago my local farmers market was over run with luscious ruby red strawberries and I just couldn’t resist bringing those babies home with me. Strawberries are a funny thing, well in all fairness I guess it’s not strawberries that are funny but more our current food system that is “funny.” You see, here in the east strawberries have a very short season, a few weeks at best, but strawberries are sold 365 days a year. So of course when locally we can’t access them they are flown in from all over the globe.
Jet lagged berries, as I like to call them, are truly a completely different food product than the local sweet, juicy, tart perfection that make a grand entrance and speedy departure but once a year.
I grew up across the street from a wild strawberry patch, during those abundant weeks of summer when wild strawberries were ripe I as had perpetual ruby stained lips, and a full berry belly. I’m not quite sure a berry will ever live up to those wild little buggers from my childhood.
I know the jet-lagged berries that most Americans, sadly, now know as strawberries taste nothing like what I know as a strawberry.
So today an ‘ode to the berries of my childhood… When life hands you strawberries make Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake!
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake
- Ready Time: 30 mins
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
Ingredients
Toppings
- 3 cups of strawberries sliced
- a sprinkle of sweetener of your choice examples; stevia, agave nectar or coconut palm sugar
- 1/2 cup of full-fat plain greek yogurt for a more traditional treat, homemade whipped cream
Shortcake
- 1/4 cup of coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons of organic cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons of coconut palm sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk this also works well with almond milk or regular milk
Tools
- small cast iron pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
- medium mixing bowl
- large mixing spoon
Directions
Nutritional Information
- Amount Per Serving:
- Calories:
- 163
- Total Fat:
- 10.8g
- Saturated Fat:
- 8.4g
- Cholesterol:
- 0mg
- Sodium:
- 336mg
- Potassium:
- 14.9mg
- Total Carbs:
- 7g
- Dietary Fiber:
- 7g
- Sugars:
- 3.5g
- Protein:
- 5.1g
- Preheat oven to 400
- Place small cast iron pan in oven while preheating (if you are using a cookie sheet, line w/ parchment paper and set aside)
- Whisk all dry ingredients together
- Whisk all wet ingredients together
- Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients mix well, allow batter to sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Take cast iron pan out of oven, brush w/ a bit of coconut oil, scoop batter in to pan in 4 sections. Or, if using a cookie sheet scoop 4 mounds of batter onto parchment lined cookie sheet (makes 4 large shortcake)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes
- Cool completely and set aside
- Toss strawberries w/ a bit of stevia or NATURAL sweetener of your choice (please do not kill this nourishing treat w/ a packet of yellow, blue, or pink) allow strawberries to sit for a few minutes w/ sweetener, this will release the juices from the strawberries and make a yummy little sauce.
- Arrange as you choose. (see Recipe Notes for suggestions)
Ingredient Notes
- There may be some unfamiliar ingredients in this recipe, I offered a few alternatives but I encourage you to purchase some of these nutritional geniuses and add them to your pantry. I will be using all of them consistently in recipes on this blog.
- Coconut Flour is gluten free and full of fiber. This is a great starter recipe to get yourself acquainted with this nutritional powerhouse.
- Although I certainly would categorize this as a dessert, this recipe is actually full of amazing nutrients like omega 3's from the flax, tons of fiber from the coconut flour, and lauric acid from the coconut oil to name a few.
Recipe Notes
Typically strawberry shortcake is paired with sweet luscious whipped cream, but I use plain Greek yogurt instead. I happen to love something a little tart and creamy w/ my sweets. My great Aunt Mamie, my first real teacher in the kitchen, would always put a little dollop of sour cream on her oatmeal raisin cookies. Maybe it was a Hungarian thing, I don't know, but it reminds me of her, so serves as both an emotional loving food memory and just a delicious tradition. If you prefer fresh whipped cream, go for it. But DO NOT use any of that "whipped topping/fat free/ really just a bucket of plastic fat that will leave you wholly unsatisfied and your body begging for more" stuff Arrange however you choose. I like a tall tower of delicious goodness, if you are like me layer away as such... Put half of the shortcake/biscuit on the bottom top w/ strawberries and Greek yogurt, place the other half of the shortcake on top of berries, add more strawberries, finish w/ a dollop of Greek yogurt and a mint sprig.Notes on this recipe
There may be some unfamiliar ingredients in this recipe, I offered a few alternatives but I encourage you to purchase some of these nutritional geniuses and add them to your pantry. I will be using all of them consistently in recipes on this blog.
Coconut Flour is gluten free and full of fiber. This is a great starter recipe to get yourself acquainted with this nutritional powerhouse.
Although I certainly would categorize this as a dessert, this recipe is actually full of amazing nutrients like omega 3′s from the flax, tons of fiber from the coconut flour, and lauric acid from the coconut oil to name a few.
About Abra Pappa, Health and Wellness Expert
Abra is a wellness expert that has inspired thousands of people to reach their health and weight loss goals through whole, natural food and mindful lifestyle shifts. Her food philosophy is simple; keep it real, keep it simple, and it sure as heck better be delicious!
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January 21, 2012 at 12:00 am
It’s great site, I was looking for something like this
January 19, 2012 at 12:01 pm
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..extra wait .. …
July 31, 2011 at 2:02 am
Thanks Jake! So glad you enjoyed it.
July 29, 2011 at 5:22 am
Very cool post. Love the yogurt Idea. I totally agree, I’ve noticed a huge difference in strawberries throughout the year. I’m going to try the recipe tomorrow for girlfriend….surprise her when she returns from out of town. This website is a great resource. Glad I found you and can’t wait to read more.