Light and Fluffy Scones

A few years ago I was invited by a group of ladies to attend a wonderful high tea. We had it in a reception room at church and it was so much fun. My favorite part was the scones served with whip cream. They were amazing, addicting, and hard to stop devouring! What I love most is that you can add anything to this recipe! I am making three different kinds, but you can use any dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, etc. in it or just make it plain. The best part is that they keep pretty well for a couple of days so you can make them ahead.

The base recipe is constant for all of them, but today I want to share with you my recipe for:

Chocolate Chip Scones, 
Chocolate Chip Coffee Scones, 
and Date White Chocolate Walnut Scones! 

They are all fun and pleasing to your heart. :)

Ingredients:
Yields 12 large or 24 small scones

Base Recipe:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1/2 cup cake flour (can substitute all-purpose, but cake flour makes it lighter)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter (cut into small pieces)
• 1 cup half & half (can substitute 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup whipping cream)
• Glaze:
• 1/2 cup powder sugar
• 1-1/2 tbsp milk (a tad bit more if too thick)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Chip Scones:

• 1 heaping cup of chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate are good for this recipe)

Chocolate Chip Coffee Scones:

• 1 heaping cup of chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate are good for this recipe)
• 4 tbsp instant coffee

Date White Chocolate Walnut Scones:

• 1/2 cup dried dates, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup white chocolate
• 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a baking sheet or parchment paper and set aside.

3. To a food processor, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix.

4. Add the cut up butter and quickly cut it in with the food processor until the mixture is crumbly.

5. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl. If making plain, skip to step 8.

6. Add the chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, or whatever you want to add to your scones and stir.

(Do NOT add the instant coffee yet.)

Chocolate Chips
For both the plain chocolate chip scones AND chocolate chip coffee scones:

Date White Chocolate Walnut Scones
Chop up dates & walnuts before stirring into mixture:

7. If making with coffee, add 4 tbsp of the instant coffee to a 1 cup measuring container 

and add enough boiling water (about 1-2 tbsp) to dissolve. 

Add enough half & half to fill up to the 1 cup line so you have 1 cup of liquid.

8. Pour half & half to the crumbled mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

9. Flour your hands , then pour the dough onto a floured working surface.

10. Dump the dough on the board, knead 4-5 times and
roll the dough out on the surface until it is about 1/2 inch in thickness.

11. Use a pizza cutter or cookie shape to cut into the shape/sizes you would like.

I prefer smaller because there's more to go around!

Tip: Cut into a rectangle, then press the scraps into another rectangle so it is easy to cut.

 

12. Place on the prepared parchment paper on a baking sheet, 

about 1 inch apart and bake in the center of the oven until golden brown.

Bake Times:

Smaller sizes: 12-15 minutes

Larger sizes: 20 minutes

13. In the meantime, add the powdered sugar, milk & vanilla 

to a small bowl and stir with a fork until combined. 

14. Remove scones from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 

15. Brush with glaze and allow to dry.

Serve warm or place in a sealed container and serve within 48 hours.
Best served with a dollop of whip cream!

Bon Appetit!