Mini chocolate chip scones

Scones are my absolute favorite breakfast food. They’re easy, you can make them in advance, they transport well, and they’re delicious.

Plus, everything is better with mini chocolate chips.

Now, technically, this isn’t a standard scone recipe (aka it has eggs). If you’re a purist, well, I can’t help you. But for everyone else….if you can overlook the slightly unorthodox nature, you’ll appreciate how awesome these scones are, I promise.

Mini chocolate chip scones with glaze

For the scones

2 3/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup salted butter

1.5 cups mini chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)

For the glaze

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1) Preheat the oven to 425. Either spray a scone pan with pam, or if you don’t have a scone pan, prep a cookie sheet by laying a sheet of waxed paper over it.

2) Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

3) Using a knife or a pastry cutter (seriously, why haven’t you bought a pastry cutter? Do it. You won’t regret it), cut the butter into the dry ingredients.

4) In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and heavy cream. Note: you could definitely use milk here. However, I was out of milk, so I used heavy cream and didn’t regret it.

5) Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix.

6) If using a scone pan, put dough in pan. If not, roll the dough out, and cut into 12 scones (you can do round or triangle, either will work).

7) Cook scones for 17-19 minutes (or until just brown on top).

8) While scones cool, mix the sweetened condensed milk and powdered sugar. Drizzle over the scones – then try not to eat them all!

Scones will store for a few days, but make sure they’re kept in a cool, sealed container.

Blueberry scones

Spring has definitely sprung in Washington, D.C., as shown by the tourists, the tulips, and the sudden reappearance of berries at the grocery store.

While I’m usually not too much of a berry fan, these scones seemed like the perfect blend of sweet and seasonally appropriate. In fact, the first time I made them, they disappeared so quickly I didn’t get a single picture, so I had to make them again!

Blueberry scones

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 T baking powder

6 tablespoons salted butter (cold)

5-6 ounces fresh blueberries (tip: smaller blueberries work better)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

One lemon’s worth of grated lemon zest

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and grease a scone pan or a cookie sheet.

2) Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut in the cold butter until the mixture is somewhat sandy. Gently mix in blueberries.

3) In separate bowl, combine yogurt, lemon zest, almond and vanilla extract, and eggs. Mix well.

4) Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix gently. Pour in half cup of heavy cream, and mix until just barely incorporated.

5) Shape into triangles (either in scone pan, or by rolling out and cutting into wedges). This should yield 8-12 scones. Cook at 375 for 22 minutes.

Orange scones with glaze

Growing up, my family wasn’t ever into “traditional” holiday celebrations. Blame it on being vegetarian, or growing up Unitarian, or what have you, but a lot of our holiday celebrations were more about what worked for our family than any sense of how a holiday ought to be celebrated.

That said, I guess it’s not surprising that my idea of an Easter brunch was less about Easter, persay, and more about eating as many scones and belgian waffles as possible. Just in case you’re like me and looking to throw a less than traditional brunch on short notice, can I suggest these orange scones?

Orange scones

4 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
zest of one orange
3/4 pound (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cold
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add orange zest.

3) Using a knife or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture. You want this as incorporated as possible without the butter starting to melt.

4) In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and heavy cream and beat gently. Slowly add to the flower mixture until just barely incorporated.

5) With your hands, knead the mixture gently into a ball, then flatten to just under 1inch thick. Cut into wedges (should make 16 scones). Cook in a scone pan or on a nonstick cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes (until tops are browned).

6) Let cool before glazing.

Orange glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
Juice of one orange (without pulp)

1) Mix the powdered sugar and orange juice. You can add more powdered sugar until the glaze is the desired consistency.

2) Once scones are cool, drizzle over the scones, and allow to set before serving.

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze

For as long as I can remember, pumpkin has been one of my favorite flavors. From pumpkin pies made as a small child with my dad, to the pumpkin cookies I discovered in college, I’ve never met a pumpkin I didn’t want to eat.

Then, in my post-college baking adventures, I first learned to make scones. I thought they were magical – the perfect breakfast food. So it only seems right that the first recipe of my new blog would be pumpkin scones.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Pumpkin Scones 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

6 Tablespoons cold salted butter

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 egg

Spiced glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon milk (I used skim, but any type will work)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Note: if you have a sensitive smoke detector, now is the time to disconnect it.

2) In a medium sized bowl, whip the egg, pumpkin, and heavy cream together. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, spices, and baking powder. The baking powder is the important bit here – without it, your scones won’t be fluffy!

4) Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The smaller the pieces, the more uniform your scones will be.5) Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix

6) Form dough into a ball, and place on a floured surface. Using your hands, flatten the dough to approximately 1 1/2 inches in a round shape.

7) Using a butter knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Place on a nonstick baking sheet.

8) Cook scones for 14-16 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

9) While the scones cool, make the glaze. First, mix all the spices in with the powdered sugar, then add milk until the glaze is the consistency you want.

10) Once the scones are cool, drizzle over the scones, and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.