ChezCindy: Sweet Glazed Chocolate Chip Scones

 

February brings thoughts of chocolate.  This indulgent scone, filled with chopped chunks of rich chocolate, glazed with a sweet sugar-cream glaze, fulfills all chocolate dreams.  Perfectly paired with a glass of Brut Champagne, but equally lovely with your morning coffee.  

The recipe is based on one from a cookbook titled Chocolate Passion by Trish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty.  The contents of the book present a history of, great information about, and recipes for every type of chocolate.  I have spent a lot of time with this book.  

Making this recipe yields 16 large scones.*   The baked scones can be frozen before glazing.  Allow the scones to come to room temperature before adding the glaze.  If not eaten soon after baking, I recommend warming them in the oven or microwave briefly to slightly melt the chocolate.  

Sweet Glazed Chocolate Chip Scones

4 cups all-purpose flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup heavy cream

4 large eggs, cold

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

16-ounces dark chocolate, 60% cocoa, such as Ghirardelli 4-ounce bars

Sweet-Cream Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

*Recipe is suitable to make half the recipe to yield 8 large scones.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.   Hand cut the chocolate bars into small, ragged pieces, using a large knife.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add in the flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking to combine.  

Cut the cold butter into small 1/2-inch pieces, adding them to the flour mixture.  Using your hands, toss the butter pieces to coat each piece in flour.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut or rub the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of small pearls.  Stir in the sugar to combine.  

In a separate medium bowl, add in the cream, eggs, and vanilla, whisk to combine.  Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring to combine.  Stir in the chopped chocolate. The dough will be lightly sticky and shaggy.  Turn the shaggy dough onto your work surface, kneading a few times until the dough comes together.  Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.  Form each piece into a 7-inch round disk.  Place each disk onto the parchment lined sheet pans.  Cut each disk into 8 pie-shaped wedges, without cutting through the parchment paper.  Separate each wedge slightly apart to allow the scones room to expand and puff up.    

Bake the scones 1 sheet pan at a time for 18 minutes.  Keep the waiting pan with unbaked scones cold by placing the pan into the refrigerator or freezer.  Bake until the scones are lightly browned and slightly springy to the touch.  Remove the pan from the oven, keeping the scones on the pan for 1 minute.  Then transfer the scones to a cooling rack.  Bake the second tray.  

Make the sugar-cream glaze, drizzling when the scones have cooled.  

Sugar-Cream Glaze

Add the powdered sugar into a small bowl.  Add in 2-3 tablespoons of cream, whisking to combine, adding more cream a little at a time, until the mixture is slightly thin and pourable.  Drizzle over the scones.