Chocolate Shortcakes With Bananas And Caramel

Total Time: 52 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 22 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
• 1/8 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
• 2 medium bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°.
• 2 to prepare the shortcakes, combine flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
• 3 cut in 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• 4 add buttermilk; stir just until moist.
• 5 knead lightly in bowl 5 to 6 times.
• 6 turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• 7 cut dough into 8 wedges, cutting into, but not through, dough.
• 8 bake for 18 minutes or until just firm to the touch.
• 9 remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
• 10 place shortcake on a cutting board or work surface; cut along score lines with a serrated knife to form 8 wedges.
• 11 to prepare filling, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; stir gently just until sugar dissolves.
• 12 cook, without stirring, until pale golden (about 4 minutes), gently swirling pan if needed to cook sugar evenly.
• 13 remove from heat; add cream and 1 teaspoon butter, stirring with a whisk until smooth. cool 5 minutes.
• 14 place whipped topping and 1/8 teaspoon cocoa in a medium bowl; fold just until combined.
• 15 split shortcakes in half horizontally using a serrated knife.
• 16 arrange about 1/4 cup bananas over bottom half of each shortcake; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon caramel sauce, about 2 tablespoons whipped topping mixture, and top of shortcake. drizzle 1/2 teaspoon caramel sauce over top of each shortcake.