Cupcake Rehab » Chocolate chip scones

Get sconed. Or, chocolate chip scones, part deux.

Marilla @ Cupcake Rehab — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:50:24 +0000

I’m a huge advocate of getting sconed.

Getting sconed basically means realizing the wondrousness of scones, and then eating said scones until your stomach pops or you want to throw up. Last year I made really good chocolate chip scones, and told all about my love for scones with chippery of chocolate. Even though that recipe was good, and I’ve made it a lot since then, I’m always on the search for a new and improved, and really perfect scone recipe. This one came close. Flaky and delicious, with a better consistency than the other recipe. What’s the difference? My other recipe calls for lemon peel, this one does not. The other recipe uses a glaze of milk/sugar, this one uses an egg/vanilla/cream wash on top. Anywho, I found this recipe at the King Arthur Flour website, so big ups to my homies over there (I really don’t have any homies over there, but they make awesome flour). I also made scones for Thanksgiving, cranberry-orange ones. I don’t like cranberry, so I didn’t eat them, but I’m told they were pretty perfect, so if you’re into that then check those out too. From what I can tell/heard they’re a lot like these in terms of flake and texture. Back to the topic at hand…

For you uninitiated out there who are asking, “What is a scone?” and didn’t read my last scone entry last year… well here’s an explanation thanks to Joyofbaking.com:

“There are two ways to pronounce scone; “Skon” and “Skoan”. Scones are believed to have originated in Scotland and are closely related to the griddle baked flatbread, known as bannock. They were first made with oats, shaped into a large round, scored into four to six triangles, and cooked on a griddle either over an open fire or on top of the stove.

The origin of the name ‘scone’ is just as unclear as where it came from. Some say the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, the Stone (Scone) of Destiny. Others believe the name is derived from the Dutch word “schoonbrot” meaning fine white bread or from the German word “sconbrot” meaning ‘fine or beautiful bread’. Still others say it comes from the Gaelic ‘sgonn’ a shapeless mass or large mouthful.

This small cake is a quick bread, similar to an American biscuit, made of wheat flour (white or wholemeal), sugar, baking powder/baking soda, butter, milk (whole, half and half, light cream, heavy cream, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.), and sometimes eggs. This produces a soft and sticky dough that has the ratio one part liquid to three parts wheat flour. It needs to be baked in a moderate to hot oven so the dough sets quickly thereby producing a light scone with a light to golden brown floury top and bottom with white sides. The texture of the interior of the scone should be light and soft, and white in color.”

There are raisin scones, blueberry scones, regular scones… I could go on forever. They’re like muffins in that you could really make any kind of scone and they’d be delicious. Traditionally scones are eaten with tea. And according to a website I found, there is indeed a proper way to eat a scone:

The correct manner in which one eats a scone is the same manner in which one eats a dinner roll. Simply break off a bite size only piece, place it on your plate and then apply, with your bread and butter knife, the jam and cream. A fork is not used to eat a scone.

But I say, eat ‘em while you’re sitting at home watching the latest ‘Nurse Jackie’ episode, I don’t care! Scones are delicious and from here on out, I am going to try and stop the stereotyping of them. SCONES ARE NOT JUST FOR TEA. So here we go… sconery abounds!

CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES

Ingredients & materials to get you sconed:

2 ½ cups (9 ounces) flour (the website obviously recommends King Arthur Unbleached Pastry Flour or Mellow Pastry Blend (9 3/8 ounces), but I used regular all-purpose)
heaping ½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces) sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
¾ cup (6 ounces) cream–half and half, light, heavy, or whipping (you can also use regular milk with good results)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups to 2 cups (9 to 12 ounces) chocolate chips
coarse white sparkling sugar or demerara sugar, for topping

Directions down the path of sconery:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a baking sheet.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder till thoroughly combined. Add the butter, working it in until the mixture is unevenly crumbly.
Whisk together the cream , eggs, and vanilla. Set aside 2 tablespoons, and add the rest to the dry ingredients, along with the chocolate chips. Mix to form a moist dough.
Transfer the sticky dough to a heavily floured rolling mat or other work surface. Gently pat and round it into an 8″ circle. Brush the dough with the reserved egg/cream mixture, and sprinkle heavily with coarse sugar.
Dip a 2″ round cutter in flour, and use it to cut out a total of 16 scones; you’ll have to gather the scraps and reshape the dough once. Space the scones evenly on the prepared pan.
Bake the scones for 20 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and serve warm. If not serving immediately or within a couple of hours, store in an airtight container. To reheat, wrap loosely in aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. Yield: 16 to 18 3″ scones (depending on the amount of chips you use).
Variation: Make cute little bite-sized (1 ¾”) scones by using a 1 ½” cutter. Reduce the oven time to about 13 minutes, baking until scones are a light golden brown. Yield: about 40 to 45 scones, depending on the amount of chips you use.

‘K, so I used mini chocolate chips, about a cup and a half, maybe a cup and ¾. I like my scones room temperature, so I don’t like to heat them up to eat them. But do as you wish in that department, chickadees.

*Note: this entire entry was written with an English accent, FYI.

Chocolate chip scones.

Marilla @ Cupcake Rehab — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:37:55 +0000

When I went to F.I.T. the D Building lobby had a little coffee bar/snack booth type deal that sold coffee (obviously), bagels, rolls, juice, etc. Sometimes cookies and brownies as well. They also, if you were lucky, had scones. I loved the chocolate chip scones. I don’t like cranberry scones or plain scones. But the chocolate chip ones were awesome. People used to laugh at me because I’d get a scone and a Snapple between classes (or during class). They’d say “Who just eats a scone as a snack?” Well English people do, I’m sure. I’m not English, so I really don’t know that for certain. But anyway… yeah I’d say since scones are a decidedly ‘British’ baked good, that English people eat scones as snacks. Unless scones are just for tea? In which case I was still perfectly within the realm of proper scone eating because I always ate them with a Snapple Peach Iced Tea (yeah, I know, its no Earl Grey with lemon…). But getting a scone that was guaranteed deliciousness was also better and easier than arguing with the lady serving me that the substance on my bagel was cream cheese, not butter like I’d asked for, which happened to me more than a few times.

I omitted the lemon peel and nothing bad happened. No lightning crashed down on me and the god of sconery didn’t curse me. As a matter of fact, they tasted wonderful. I’m not a scone expert- but I thought they were pretty boss.

Pre-baked scone-y goodness.

…

What is a scone, you ask? Well thanks to Joyofbaking.com:

“There are two ways to pronounce scone; “Skon” and “Skoan”. Scones are believed to have originated in Scotland and are closely related to the griddle baked flatbread, known as bannock. They were first made with oats, shaped into a large round, scored into four to six triangles, and cooked on a griddle either over an open fire or on top of the stove.

The origin of the name ‘scone’ is just as unclear as where it came from. Some say the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, the Stone (Scone) of Destiny. Others believe the name is derived from the Dutch word “schoonbrot” meaning fine white bread or from the German word “sconbrot” meaning ‘fine or beautiful bread’. Still others say it comes from the Gaelic ‘sgonn’ a shapeless mass or large mouthful.

This small cake is a quick bread, similar to an American biscuit, made of wheat flour (white or wholemeal), sugar, baking powder/baking soda, butter, milk (whole, half and half, light cream, heavy cream, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.), and sometimes eggs. This produces a soft and sticky dough that has the ratio one part liquid to three parts wheat flour. It needs to be baked in a moderate to hot oven so the dough sets quickly thereby producing a light scone with a light to golden brown floury top and bottom with white sides. The texture of the interior of the scone should be light and soft, and white in color.”

Well, there ya go!

CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES

Get the following ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chilled buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk (for glaze)

Preparation:

Butter and flour baking sheet. Sift 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl. Add butter and lemon peel; rub in with fingertips until butter is reduced to size of rice grains. Mix in chocolate chips.
Whisk buttermilk, egg yolk and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; mix until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Press dough out on lightly floured surface to 8-inch round; cut round into 6 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush scones lightly with milk; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake until scones are crusty on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheerio!