Chocolate Chip Scones make a very tasty breakfast treat. These
scones also contain sweet
dried red cherries which I think pairs nicely with the dark chocolate chips. One of my favorite
ways to make scones is with buttermilk, instead of the more traditional cream (or milk).
Buttermilk gives these Chocolate Chip Scones a
light and tender, almost bread-like texture.
The scones are baked in a fairly hot oven which gives them a golden brown and
crisp
outer crust. If you can enjoy these scones the same day as they are made,
preferably shortly after they come out of the oven.
Chocolate Chip Scones can be made using regular chocolate chips or, if you
like, you can cut up your favorite chocolate bar into uneven chunks. While
the recipe calls for dried red cherries, you could use dried cranberries
or there are many other dried fruits that could be added to the dough
instead of dried cherries. Dried raisins, apricots, prunes, figs would be nice, or
you could leave out the dried fruit completely.
If you are not familiar
with buttermilk it has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery
taste that makes baked goods tender.
Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter it is now
commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by
adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to
1 cup (240 ml/grams) of milk. Let stand about 10 minutes at room temperature before using. Another option is to use
dried buttermilk powder, which is conveniently sold in plastic bags or
canisters.
Chocolate Chip Scones: Preheat
your 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. 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 or cream.
Bake
for about 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into
the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
The scones are best the day they are made. But they can be covered and stored
for a few days, or they can be frozen.
References
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