Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Scones

Sometimes, despite the fact that you indulged in too many mimosas and the fact that the heat and humidity have kicked up to insane levels (for LA), you just want to bake a little something. I really needed to use up the cream leftover from baking more cupcakes for my birthday party and lucky for me, these scones take about 5 minutes to mix together. I've had them saved long enough so it was time to get to cooking. Grating the butter while it was frozen made it even easier and cut down on sweaty arm work to get the butter mixed in to the flour. The scones are fantastic with a slightly caramely flavor from the brown sugar and light and fluffy with chocolate chunks in every bite. These are definitely more dessert friendly scones so bake a batch up for a simple easy dinner party with a bit of vanilla ice cream.



Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Scones
(Adapted from Evil Shenanigans)

Makes 8 scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup, packed, light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
6 tablespoons butter, frozen for at least 20 minutes and then grated
1 cup roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the butter and stir until the mixture looks like peas. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine well. Mix in the cream. Stir to combine. The mixture will be shaggy.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into an 8-inch circle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into eight equal pieces. Place the pieces on the baking sheet. Brush each piece with a bit of cream and sprinkle lightly with the turbinado sugar if desired.

Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes until the tops are lightly brown. Cool the scones in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.


Printable Recipe

Strawberry and Rosemary Scones

Short post today. A couple weeks ago, I saw Giada make these scones. So I wanted to make these scones. I love the combination of savory rosemary with sweet strawberry jam (my favorite is from Harry's Berries). To make life easier, I made them in the food processor. They came out more like cookies, but still delicious. They were even better the next day after spending the night in an airtight container and they go really well with green tea.




Strawberry and Rosemary Scones
(Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)



Makes 5-6 scones

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
Strawberry jam

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough until it's 1/2-inch thick.

Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into more circles and add to the baking sheet.

Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Honey Whole Wheat Scones

Warning, this post contains Top Chef finale spoilers. If you haven’t watched the episode, come back after you have. You’ve been warned.


How pissed were you about Hosea winning TC 5? I normally prefer to not comment on the show and leave it up to the experts, but last night’s finale made me so mad, I actually yelled at my TV for about ten minutes after it ended. After the departure of my favorite Italian, I didn’t really have a favorite, but I would have been fine with Stefan who, let’s face it, as cocky as he may be, cooked some pretty amazing food…or even googly eyed Carla who fought her way to the top three with her crazy expressions and cooking with love. I actually think it is quite unfair for the judges to base the decision on who should be Top Chef on just one night of cooking. It kind of negates the fact the cheftestants have been cooking their hearts out for however many weeks. They should change the name of the show to Top Chef…of that night. Ugh. Ok, enough ranting. Remember when I told you guys about this cool tool I recently discovered which has been really amazing in helping me plan my weekly meals. Well, sometimes recipes still sneak their way into my week even though I didn’t plan them. After a particularly stressful pilot season day yesterday, I knew I was going to have to take the edge off with a glass of wine and some good ole arm work of cutting butter into flour. Of course those calming influences were completely ruined from watching TC and my stupid internet going out. Seriously, is anyone else in LA having the same problem of Time Warner cable going out every day around 8:30-9? It is becoming the most frustrating thing to deal with. Last night it lasted for two hours! I should get at least a month free with all the headaches it has caused.

Just call today, Rant Thursday.


I’m not sure how I found this recipe, but I am so glad I did. I am trying to add a little more whole grain to my life so I did this with half whole wheat flour. I also added a pinch of cinnamon for a little something extra. The only sweetness in this recipe comes from the honey so these are a very mild type of scone that go perfectly with strawberry preserves. I am fond of the no pectin variety from Harry’s Berries in Oxnard, CA (think globally, act locally). They are also really good with a piece of cheese (don’t knock it till you try it). I'm a little tired and very stressed this week, so I apologize that it's taking me longer to reply to comments and visit your blogs. Thanks for understanding!


Honey Whole Wheat Scones
(Adapted from The Repressed Pastry Chef)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
One or two dashes cinnamon (optional)
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly. In a small bowl whisk together the honey and the cream, add to the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until just combined.

Lightly flour a work surface and form the dough into a circle. Cut into eight triangle-shaped pieces and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Cool for 5 minutes in pan and then transfer to a rack and cool for another 5 minutes. Serve warm

Vanilla Bean Scones

You may be asking yourself (or me) "didn't you just make scones a few weeks ago?". Well, I did, but I love scones and I have been wanting to try this version for a while. I am totally obsessed with those mini vanilla bean scones at Starbucks and even though they are pretty inexpensive (75 cents per scone), I wanted to see if I could at least try to find a way to replicate this recipe if and when Starbucks decides to discontinue those bad boys. I have a bajillion vanilla beans so I thought this would be a good use for one. I based this recipe on the pomegranate cream scones I made a few weeks ago. Instead of doing a vanilla bean icing a la Starbucks, I just brushed the tops of the scones with cream and gave them a pretty liberal sprinkling of vanilla sugar. These turned out really well. I OD'ed a little on the cream in the scone recipe (used a little more than what I wrote) because my dough wasn't coming together. Instead of staying in the lovely triangles I cut them into, the scones looked more like question marks, but the flavor was really similar to the Starbucks version. Also, I don't feel guilty about eating these because I know exactly what went into them. Although, with the few cents I am saving, I may be picking up a Cinnamon Dolce Latte one of these weekends...

Have you entered the giveaway yet? Click here for the deets.

Vanilla Bean Scones

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons vanilla sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
Vanilla sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, vanilla beans, and the cream together with a fork. Add to the flour mixture and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a round, about 1-inch thick. Cut into equal sized wedges. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Pomegranate Cream Scones

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with candy kisses and tryptophan dreams. I enjoyed a wonderful time with family and friends and a fabulous mix of traditional Thanksgiving and awesome Ghanian dishes. A couple of days ago I got to leave work early. I cleaned and did stuff around the house (including watching Romy and Michele's in preparation for my night tomorrow), but then I was restless. I can never sit still so I decided to bake something. I realized that I hadn't made scones in a while and all of a sudden, I had a strong urge to make them. There is something about cutting butter into flour that is really comforting to me. I know, I am weird, but anyway...on to the scones. They are similar to the pound cake in that the juicy bits of pomegranate are so tasty throughout a fluffy and moist scone. This time I used lemon zest because I had a couple of lemons that were thisclose to going bad. This was a fabulously easy pomegranate recipe and I really love baking with those juicy seeds. The scones were moist and flaky and the vanilla sugar on top added a nice crunch. I really hope you are staying in somewhere nice and warm (versus being out in the crazy shopping day). If you are out and about celebrating Black Friday, I hope you are getting some wonderful deals. Happy Friday!

PS, Since I am away from my regular computer, it may take me a little longer to reply to comments, but I AM reading them and please know they are much appreciated as always!!



Pomegranate Cream Scones

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds from a POM Wonderful fresh pomegranate
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
Vanilla sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in lemon zest and pomegranate seeds.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and the cream together with a fork. Add to the flour mixture and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a round, about 1-inch thick. Cut into equal sized wedges. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheddar Dill Scones

I hate doing laundry. I really do. I schedule a time to do it, but I can usually find a way to get out of it. It's just such a pain living in an apartment without a washer/dryer hookup. Getting it all together, lugging it down the elevator and then praying the machines are not in use...I can find much better things to do with my time. Today was no exception. I have tons of dill leftover from our Greek potluck and I have been wanting to try Ina's cheddar dill scones for a while. I don't know what it is with me and scones this week, but it is a recipe I am determined to master in every possible way. Just a note, this recipe makes a lot of scones. I saved half of it and froze it to use at a later date. These scones are delicate and flavorful. I may try adding some garlic flavor in the future, but for now, these are just perfect.

Cheddar Dill Scones
(adapted from Ina Garten)

4 cups plus 1 tbps all-purpose flour, divided
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
3/4 lb cold unsalted butter, diced
4 large eggs, beaten slightly
1 c 2% milk
8 oz extra sharp shredded cheddar
1 c minced fresh dill
1 egg beaten with one tbsp milk for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 4 cups flour, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and mix until butter is in pea-sized pieces*. Mix the eggs and milk quickly and add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended. In a separate bowl, toss together the cheddar and dill with 1 tbsp flour and then add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough on a well-floured surfrace and knead for 1 minute until the cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4 inch thick. Using a flour-rimmed glass, cut the dough and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake 20-25 minutes until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.

*I did this by hand since I don't have a mixer, but if you are lucky enough to have a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, this process will go by a lot quicker.

Butternut Squash Scones

Continuing my food-centric weekend, I decided to bake some scones. Now let it be said, I don't bake very often. I am not the most patient cook and the exact measurements sometimes make me nervous. Once in a while though, I like to test my skills. This past winter I fell in love with butternut squash. It is a ginormous pain in the arse to prepare, but once it is done, it is absolutely delicious. Then, about a month ago I saw this pre-peeled and cubed squash at Trader Joes and the it was at a reasonable price. I bought it, stuck it in the freezer and then kind of forgot about it. My mom was always baking scones when I was younger and has always said they are one of the easiest things to make. After today, I couldn't agree with her more. I know it sounds weird to put squash in a scone, but try it. The squash is sweet and I used cinnamon which enhanced the flavor. The consistency of these is so soft and moist with warm, earthy tones it was hard for me to only eat one. I finished them off by sprinkling them with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Like my hero Ina always says, make sure your ingredients are as cold as possibly for the flakiest scones.

Butternut Squash Scones
(adapted from Food Network)

8 oz butternut squash, peeled and cubed
8 oz self rising flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 oz sugar
2 to 3 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Place the squash in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and let dry over heat. It's important to make sure there is no water left in the squash. Mash squash with a potato masher and drain again in a towel, if necessary.

Sift flower, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Stir in the sugar and then the mashed squash. Stir in milk, 1 tbsp at a time until you have a soft dough. With a wooden spoon, combine the dough thoroughly and gently.

Turn the dough onto a well floured board and press down lightly until the dough is about 1 inch thick. Use a cutter or a glass to cut the scones and places them onto a lightly greased baking tray. Flouring the glass each time is very helpful.

Using a sifter, dust each scone with flour. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Lightly dust powdered sugar and cinnamon over warm scones if desired.