Orange Scones with Chocolate Drizzle

Come join the fun at the MyBaking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Scharffen Berger!

I adapted this recipe from a scottish scone recipe I got from Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life. (I'm sure it's on her blog, Orangette, as well, but I didn't get it from there.) Her recipe calls for lemon zest and crystalized ginger. I'm definitely not a ginger fan, so I skipped that part and used orange instead of lemon zest. And so I could include it in the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats recipe contest (vote for me!), I added a lovely chocolate drizzle on top. I've made these twice now, once last night, which my husband and I promptly devoured, and again this afternoon so I could photograph them.

Even though a couple of the instructions are a little weird, they are pretty easy and quick to put together. She tells you to smoosh the butter into the dry ingredients with your hands, rather than cutting in in with a pastry blender. No idea why, but it gets the job done. Also, she reccomends only kneading the dough 12 times. Twelve is apparently the magic number, any more and the dough will get over worked and be tough. I found it a little difficult to knead exactly 12 times, as this is a very soft and sticky dough, and you don't really knead it like you would bread dough. It's more mash it til it comes together. Anyway, it's easy and soooo good!

Orange scones with chocolate drizzle:

• 2 C all purpose flour


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 4 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes


• 2 Tbs sugar


• Zest of one small orange (I didn't measure, I'd guess about a tablespoon)


• 1/2 cup half-and-half, plus a splash more for glazing (optional)


• 1 large egg


• 2 oz chocolate, chopped (any kind you like will do, I used dark chocolate)

Preheat oven to 425

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture, squeezing and pinching until mixture resembles a course meal and ther are no butter lumps bigger than a pea. Add the orange zest and sugar and whisk to combine.

In a small bowl, combing 1/2 cup half-and-half and egg. Whisk or beat with a fork until well combined. Add to flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Turn out dough and any unincorporated flour onto a board or countertop. Press and gather and gently knead it until it just comes together. (Not too much! 12 is the magic number here.)

As soon as the dough holds together, pat it into a circle about 1 inch thick--doesn't need to be perfect. Cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment. If desired, pour a little bit of half-and-half into a bowl and brush onto tops of scones to glaze.

Bake 10-14 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. (Best served warm.)

Place chocolate in a small stainless steel bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Whisk chocolate till smooth, then drizzle over tops of scones. Tip: catch the drips by placing the parchment from the baking sheet under wire rack.

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk!