Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Chocolate Chip, Naval Orange Scones

Yes Finally!!

And really they should be called:

Chocolate Chip, Naval Orange Scones; the best thing that I have ever baked!

I first came across Jessica's recipe over at How Sweet It Is for Blood Orange Sugared Scones and I had to make them!  I absolutely loved them!  In fact, I have a batch cooling on the counter right now.  I decided that I wanted to change them up a bit to be orange and chocolate, because that is one of Devin's favorite flavor combos.

Now, I have this problem that when I am stressed, I bake.  It started when I first came to grad school.  I seriously do not think that I was stressed as an undergrad, or at least whatever I was stressed about was kids stuff.  My first year of grad school almost killed me.  And then the quals, oh how awful all of the qualifying exams were.  I was constantly stressed to the max, and so I would bake.  It started out mostly cookies.  Mostly chocolate chip cookies.  I learned how to make biscotti.  There was the occasional brownie or crumb cake.  In the past couple years, I have been getting crazy in the kitchen.  Not really because I have been stressed,  but more because I really love to bake and have been excited to try new, harder things in the kitchen.  Now I make pies (1 pie), galettes, some killer brownies, a salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bar that will melt your face off it is so good, and some fancier cookies (like brown sugar blueberry, toasted coconut toffee chocolate chip, chewy pumpkin chip, etc.) just to name a few things.  The past few months however, I have been more stressed than I have ever been in my life.  And to cope (not well mind you), I have turned to scones.

I do not like scones from a coffee shop. They are hard and dry and need to be soaked in your coffee to even be swallowed.  Homemade scones are not at all like this!  They are soft and fresh and knock your socks off delicious!  They also are not that difficult to make.  I hope that you get to make these, or the blood orange ones, or maybe your own kind.  I think I may try lemon-blueberry at some point in the future.  Yum!

Chocolate Chip, Naval Orange Scones:
3 naval oranges
3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
melted butter (about 3 Tablespoons)

Orange Sugar Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
juice from one orange (use a zested one)

Extra chocolate (for melting)

Instructions (pictures throughout - sorry about the shadows - night time baking):
Heat oven to 425 degrees.  I used a silpat on an airbake cookie sheet, but whatever you have will work just fine, cooking times however are likely to vary.

Start by zesting all three oranges.  


In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup sugar with half of the zest.  Rub it together with your fingers until well combined.


Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange sugar in a large bowl.


Next, cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients.


This is where I suggest you use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until it forms pea size like pieces.  If you do not have a pastry blender, you can use two forks or even your fingers, but the pastry blender is pretty inexpensive and it saves a lot of time and energy.


Now as best as you can stir in the buttermilk, vanilla, juice from 1/2 a naval orange (use one of your zested ones - eat the other half), 1/2 the remaining zest and the chocolate chips (I used my go to dark chocolate chunks).

The dough will remain pretty unformed (and a little sticky).


It is now up to you to get a little messy.  With your hands (possibly lightly floured), softly knead the dough (in the bowl is easiest) until it forms one big ball.  Try not to overdo it, you do not want to melt the butter with your warm hands.


Then spit the dough in half and place it on a lightly floured surface.  Press the dough out into circles that are about 1 in thick and 7 inches in diameter.  



You can cut your scones however you want.  I cut each disk in half and then cut each half into three triangles (or I did four triangles on tonight's batch).


Put them on your cookie sheet.


Brush with the melted butter.

In that same small bowl rub together the remaining zest and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Then sprinkle it on top of each scone.


If you do triangles the size of mine on an airbake cookie sheet, they take about 13 minutes.  I would start watching around 12, but you may need to go to 14 or 15 minutes.

You want them to be lightly browned on top and a little bit firm when you press on them.  Do not over cook them though, it is better to have them a little under done rather than a little over done. Sorry no pic at this point.

To make the glaze, just combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and juice from one of your zested oranges.  You will have to mix it every couple of minutes until the sugar all dissolves.

Melt your chocolate.  You can use a double boiler, or stick it in the microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring after each one until melted.


Once the scones have cooled for a bit drizzle each one with the orange glaze.  It will soak right it.



Then drizzle each with the melted chocolate.


Finally, eat.them.all.up.immediately!


Keep them in an air tight container and they will remain very fresh for about 3 days. Do not be surprised if they taste better on days two and three.

So Long!

2 comments:

  1. These look yummy! One question...am I missing where is says how much powdered sugar goes into the glaze? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete