Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Shooters

The strawberries are amazing this year!  I have been eating them up like crazy, but I like to do a little something special with them once in a while in the form of dessert too.  Last week I wanted to make something easy and fun with them and Eric suggested shooters.  Like alcohol shots. Since I am not into that sort of thing, I compromised and made my type of shooters.  Dessert ones.  He was happy anyway, because they were delicious.  I ended up making strawberry shortcake shooters...so much less work than regular strawberry shortcake from scratch, and they tasted just as good.

I made a simple "cake" base to line the bottom of the glasses, and it was delicious, just like cake but not so much sugar and hard work.  I then topped it off with some strawberry whipped coconut cream and a fresh strawberry.  Keeping it simple, so we could enjoy them faster.  No excuse not to make these babies...so easy!  I think they would be perfect for entertaining as well, pulling out a tray of these would be pretty classy!

Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Shooters

Makes 6

Cake:

1/4 cup finely shredded, dried coconut

1/4 cup raw almond meal

3 large soft medjool dates, pitted

pinch sea salt

few tsp filtered water as needed

Filling:

1 can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled

3 Tbsp maple syrup or raw coconut nectar

pinch sea salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup plus 3 Tbsp raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

1/2 cup fresh organic strawberries

In a food processor, combine all of the cake ingredients and process until they are crumbs that hold together slightly. Spoon into the bottoms of 6 shot glasses.

For the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the coconut butter slowly with the motor running until incorporated.  (If at any time the mixtures become runny, it means they have become too warm, if so, place in the freezer in a bowl, and chill until thickened, or if they become clumpy it is because the fats have separated. If this happens, place in a high speed blender and blend until smooth, then do the chilling as just mentioned). Place in a bowl in the fridge.  In the food processor, process the strawberries until chopped into small pieces, then fold this into the cream you had set aside in the refrigerator. Place the  cream mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into the shot glasses over the crust (you may just spoon them as well if you don't have a pastry bag).  Garnish the top with a strawberry. Serve chilled.