Chocolate Chip Scones

A quick stop at Starbuck’s today to refill David’s home stash of coffee and the kids are drooling over all the baked goods in the case.  “What is a scone?” they ask.  It’s easier to make it than describe it.  How do you articulate “not quite a muffin or a bread?” 

Travis got a new teacher mid-year (that’s a whole other post) and somehow an after-school conversation turned into a cooking discussion and the new teacher has a cookbook in her classroom (bonus points in my book!) which she graciously loans to me.  It is from one of her favorite places in California which also produced The Cheese Board Collective Works cookbook. Mrs. K highly recommended the chocolate chip scones.  Being the dutiful student that I am/was, I made the scones – all in the name of education. 

PS - I halved the recipe and it still made 18 scones.

Happy Birthday Julia!

Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients

1.      3 ½ c unbleached all purpose flour

2.      ½ t baking soda

3.      1 T baking powder

4.      ½ t kosher salt

5.      ¾ c plus ¼ c sugar

6.      1 c (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

7.      1 c chocolate chips

8.      ¾ c heavy cream

9.      ¾ c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. 

If using a stand mixer, add the salt and the ¾ c of sugar to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined.  Add the butter and cut it on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk.  Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together, some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl. 

Gently shape the dough into balls about 2 ¼ inches in diameter (they should have a rough, rocky exterior) and place them on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.

Sprinkle the ¼ c sugar on top of the scones.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.