Perfect Holiday Scones

Scones aren’t necessarily the first item you would think of to whip up for breakfast, but with just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can have a lovely treat ready for your table.
I love the classic flavors of dark chocolate and orange. Dark Chocolate Chunk Orange Scones are the perfect combination of a moist and flaky texture with just the right amount of sweet.
Here are a few easy tips to remember when baking scones:
- Scones are best eaten the day they are made
- Make sure your butter and cream are as cold as possible
- Don’t overmix or your scones will be tough
- Freeze your pan of scones for about 20 minutes before baking
- Bake your scones until they are just done. This will keep the center of the scones delicate and moist.
Now, let’s get baking!!
Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup of sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup cold butter cut into cubes
1 T orange zest
½ cup chopped dark chocolate
¾ cup + 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)
Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and mix until combined.
Combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until just blended. With a pastry cutter, cut in cold butter cubes until they are pea-sized. Add orange zest and chopped chocolate and stir in to the flour/butter mixture. Make a well in your flour and pour in the cream. Gently mix in the cream until just blended. If the mixture seems a little dry, add up to 2 tablespoons more of the cream. Once combined, place scone mixture on a lightly floured surface and knead together for about 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix or over-knead or your scones will be tough. Form dough into a round (about 1” thick). Use a bench scraper (a knife or pizza cutter works too) to slice into 8 equal wedges.
Place scones on a parchment lined pan and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Take scones out of the freezer and brush with heavy cream. Bake at 425* for 10-15 minutes.
Once baked, place scones on a wire rack and drizzle with glaze while they are still warm.
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in CurrentVue on December 4, 2018.