Chocolate Shortcakes With Sour Cherry Topping - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Cherry Topping
5 cups fresh sour cherries, pitted (water-packed are fine too, drain well)
3/4 cup honey, plus
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Shortcake Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 lb cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup buttermilk
Garnish
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (+ additional)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

For cherry topping: In small saucepan combine all topping ingredients and cook over medium-high heat, until cherries start to release their juice and the liquid thickens and becomes syrupy, 6-7 minutes; cool and refrigerate until needed (you can make this up to 1 day ahead).
For shortcake biscuits: Preheat oven to 350F and set rack in middle of oven; combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl until blended; rub butter into flour mixture with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal; in a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with buttermilk to blend; add to flour mixture and stir just until evenly moistened; turn dough out onto a floured board and, with lightly floured hands, knead just until it comes together (if the dough is very sticky, sprinkle on some additional all purpose flour); pat out to about 1 1/4 inches thick and cut into rounds with a 3 inch cutter; gather dough scraps and pat out again to make remaining shortcake biscuits; set 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet; bake biscuits for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden-brown, and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
For whipped cream: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
To assemble: Slice shortcake biscuits in half and set bottoms of biscuits on 6 dessert plates; dollop generously with whipped cream and distribute cherry topping evenly over the cream; place biscuit tops over cherries at a slight angle and sprinkle tops lightly with confectioners' sugar.