Chocolate Chip Scones

 

So this weekend was the boyfriend's birthday and along with making the quintessential birthday cake, I also wanted to make something super delicious for him for breakfast.  He's been working a lot lately and enjoyed having this time sleep in, so that meant I had to plan what I made accordingly.  So after cleaning up a bit, decorating the living room, and putting his presents out, I thought it would be nice to have something ready for him to eat right when he woke up. The problem was that I had no idea when that would be.  And, well, in my opinion, cold eggs and cold pancakes don't really scream "Happy Birthday! I love you!"  So instead I dug through my brain a little bit and remembered seeing some really, really yummy looking scones while I was perusing countless recipes online (as per usual).  It was decided--these were the perfect answer.  And even better, the birthday boy completely agreed.  These were good.  Sah-weet!  

I had never made scones before and I actually haven't had them many times despite drooling every time I see them.  I'm big on Starbucks and whenever I go in my eyes are always drawn to their huge display of danish and pastries just sitting there looking all welcoming and ready to be eaten.  The thing is, I'm a little weird about certain foods and shy away from eating those types of things unless I make them myself and know exactly what has been put in them.  (Plus, my beloved soy latte is pricey enough as it is without adding anything else to my bill!)  Luckily, I happen to think it's way more fun to try making things yourself.  So, I went for it.  And I was definitely very pleased with the outcome.  Soft, flaky, and mega chocolatey.  Not necessarily the healthiest start to your day, but who really cares about that when it's a birthday/weekend treat?  Dave sure didn't, and I sure didn't mind partaking in my own scone (or two) with him either.  I definitely can't wait to try making other variations of them!

Chocolate Chip Scones:

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

• 1/2 cup (90 grams) milk or semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks

• 1/2 cup (75 grams) dried cherries or cranberries (optional)

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2/3 - 3/4 cup (160 - 180 ml) buttermilk

• To veganize, simply replace the butter with some Earth Balance and the buttermilk with soy milk!

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. (The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.)  Stir in the chocolate chunks (or chips) and dried cherries. In a small measuring cup whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together (add more buttermilk or flour as necessary). Do not over mix the dough.

• Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk.

• Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 8 scones.


Note: I omitted the dried cranberries from the recipe.  And after allowing them to cool, I melted chocolate and drizzled it on top.  Not only pretty, but extra tasty too!

Source: Joy of Baking