By: Chengetai Zamchiya
Buttery, indulgent and surprisingly easy to make; scones are perhaps one of Britains most famous baked goods. To ensure that their texture is tender and flaky, this recipe for chocolate chip scones requires the butter to be as cold as possible and for the dough to be stacked in layers before being rolled to the desired shape. The dough being stacked then rolled makes layers of cold butter that will turn to partially into steam; creating distinct separations in the finished scone. This process, also known as “laminating”, is what makes the dough flaky.
Scones can be cut into any shape for any occasion!
Ingredients:
Scones:
2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks) cubed and frozen
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅔ cup chocolate chips
1 egg
⅓ cup milk
Egg Wash:
1 egg
2 tbsp water or milk
Instructions:
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar until well combined. Cut in the butter with a knife or pastry cutter until the butter is in smaller pieces then use clean hands to rub the butter into the flour until the flour holds its shape when lightly squeezed. Mix in the chocolate chips. Put the mixture in the freezer for at least 10 minutes or until the mixture is cold to the touch.
- Beat together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Remove the mixture from the freezer and pour in the egg mixture and mix lightly until somewhat combined. Turn the crumbly dough onto a lightly floured clean counter or large cutting board. Cut the dough in half and those halves in half until you have four pieces. Stack the pieces on top of each other and press down to about 1 inch in thickness. Repeat this process until the dough is homogenous; about 3 times.
- Lightly flour the dough and a rolling pin and roll out the dough to ½ an inch. Use a glass or a cookie cutter to cut out scones. Alternatively you could use a knife to cut them into any shape desired.
- Place scones on a baking sheet and then put them into the freezer.
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ or 218℃ and keep scones in the freezer while your oven warms up.
- Beat together the other egg with the 2 tbsp of water or milk until homogenous.
- Once preheated, remove the scones from the freezer and quickly coat the tops with egg wash and sprinkle each scone with a tiny bit of granulated sugar.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and risen.
- Allow the scones to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Note: The scones can be stored in a sealed plastic bag for 2-3 days at room temperature or for 3 months in the freezer.