These delicious scones are so tasty that it is not really necessary to serve jam but if you really have to, suggest using an orange marmalade to enhance the orange flavoring. We merely spread them, while still warm, with butter. A spoon of clotted cream tastes good too.
Suggested teas to accompany the scones:
Irish or Scottish Breakfast, Assam, Kenya, Pu'erh and, of course, our Chocolate Orange black tea.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups all- purpose flour
- 1/3 cups sugar (extra fine is best)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder – MAKE SURE IT IS FRESH
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces and softened
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely grated orange peel
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- Chocolate sprinkles - optional
METHOD:
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in food processor until combined, about FIVE PULSES. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated and mixture looks like FINE crumbs with no visible butter, about TWENTY PULSES. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in mini chocolate chips and orange peel.
- Whisk milk and eggs together in second bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons milk mixture. THIS IS CRUCIAL. SLOWLY add remaining milk mixture to flour mixture and, using rubber spatula, fold together just until no dry bits of flour remain. IF YOU ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO ADD MORE FLOUR, AND THIS MAKES THE SCONES HEAVY.
- Transfer dough to well-floured counter* and gather into ball. With floured hands, knead until surface is smooth and free of cracks, TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY TIMES. Press gently to form disk. Using floured rolling pin, roll disk into 9-inch round, about 1 inch thick. Using floured 2- inch round cutter, stamp out rounds, recoating cutter with flour if it begins to stick. Push down straight and do not twist. CUT SCONES OUT AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE. Arrange on prepared sheet about ½ inch apart. Gather dough scraps, form into ball, and knead gently until surface is smooth. Roll out again and cut additional scones.
- Brush tops of scones with reserved milk mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake scones until risen and golden brown. About 15-18 minutes. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Can dust the tops with the chocolate sprinkles.
*I put down a large piece of well-floured wax paper on the counter to work on. This makes clean-up easier.
The original recipe said to pipe chocolate on the tops of the scones. You will see from the photo that I am no chocolate expert and had to resort to spreading the chocolate. Didn't look the best, so that's why I suggest using chocolate sprinkles.