So, I was thinking the other day… why are there no sweet, chocolate, biscuits? Perhaps these biscuity thoughts were brought on by my boyfriend’s brother’s love of biscuits and gravy. Who’s to say? All I do know, is that I began thinking about a riff off of a strawberry shortcake. Then it hit me. I dreamed up a chocolate shortcake, filled with a chocolate mousse and sliced figs. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. There’s just something about chocolate and figs that just really gets me. These shortcakes are the perfect combination of everything, and I’m sure you’ll love them!
What kind of chocolate should I use for the mousse? Does it even matter?
I feel like so many people try to buy the cheapest ingredients possible to save money. I know I do! But in the case of this chocolate shortcake with mousse, I would not recommend it. The chocolate mousse is where you really do not want to cheat yourself out of fancier products. I tested both Aldi chocolate chips and Valrhona chocolate bars for the chocolate mousse. Let me tell you that the Valrhona won by a LANDSLIDE. Not only did it win in taste, but also in texture. The chocolate chips have some extra ingredients to help hold their shape when they bake, so trying to melt them and incorporate them into the mousse did not work as smoothly as using a chocolate bar. Of course, if chocolate chips are all that you have or can afford, there’s absolutely no shame in using them! But, if you’re looking for a more professional dessert for a dinner party or to impress your friends, spend a couple extra dollars on the good stuff, you’ll be happy you did.
What is “cutting in butter”
To cut in butter is to work the butter into the dough until it is very fine and distributed throughout the dry ingredient mixture as tiny bits. The mixture will wind up looking like damp sand, and the bits of butter throughout the mixture should not be larger than the size of a pea. This allows the butter to be evenly distributed throughout the dough and gives you the flaky layers that we look for in biscuits!
Chocolate Shortcake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Shortbread:
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter
- ¾ cup Whole Milk
For the Chocolate Mousse:
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 7 ounces 70% Chocolate
- 4 Large Eggs yolks and whites separated
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For the Topping:
- 8 ounces Figs sliced
Instructions
For the Shortbread:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk together to combine.
- "Cut" in the butter with a pastry knife or your fingers. Mix until the butter is in pieces no bigger than peas, and the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Add the milk and mix together with a wooden spoon until the flour is wetted. Pour out onto a lightly-floured, flat surface and pat into a rectangle, sort of like pie dough. Try not to over-work the dough.
- Lightly flour a rolling pin and the top of your dough and roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a round cookie/biscuit cutter, and cut out the shortbread biscuits. I used a 2.5 inch round, but you can use whatever size you want.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Allow to cool before assembling.
For the Mousse:
- Chop the chocolate into fine pieces, and melt it with the butter in a heat proof bowl either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Whisk together if separated. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add the 4 egg yolks to the butter and chocolate mixture, one at a time, whisking thoroughly to incorporate. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip the egg yolks with the cream of tartar until foamy. At this stage, slowly add the sugar in. Continue whipping until you reach stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture. Fold until no white streaks remain but be careful not to knock the air out of the meringue. Set aside.
- In a clean bowl, use the stand mixer or hand mixer and beat the whipped cream and vanilla extract to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate and meringue mixture. The end result should not have any streaks of white, and should be a light brown color. It should have a lot of air in it.
- Separate the mousse into individual serving containers or just leave it in the bowl. Cover the containers holding the mousse with plastic wrap and refridgerate for at least 2 hours.
For assembly:
- Once the mousse has been in the refridgerator for at least 2 hours and the shortbread is cool, split the shortbread in half like a hamburger bun. Place a hefty dollop of mousse on the bottom half of the shortbread and top with sliced figs. Place the top of the shortbread on, making a sort of sandwich, and enjoy!
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