Chocolate Chip Scones

Yesterday morning I lay in bed, awake though resolutely opposed to appearing so, having stayed up past midnight glued to cliffhanger episodes of Breaking Bad on Netflix. Anyway, right on time (that is just shy of 7 am) the two year old comes to me as I lay in bed and asks, "Stuck?" I pretend to be asleep.

A little louder now, "Mama stuck?" I pretend harder. She digs for my hand under the covers, tucked under my legs, and grimaces mightily as she pulls. And puuuullls. She sounds too cute not to open my eyes, just a little, but then the jig is up... and so am I.

After getting everyone settled with juice or milk, pouring my coffee and sitting down to a row or two of contemplative knitting, I remember a promise made, to provide a homemade breakfast dish to the kids' school. In honor of the teachers' first official day back. To be delivered by 8:15. Whoops. I immediately think about just grabbing a box of donut holes or something... anything... I just wanna sit and drink my coffee!

But, no. Scones are entirely too easy. And even if all you do is dump a cup of chocolate chips into them, they're delicious. (Plus, they looked damn fancy next to all the boxes of Munchkins at the staff breakfast!)

Today, the kids wanted some scones of their own, and well, I don't blame them. This version differs from yesterday's by using 1/2 whole wheat flour; adding in some flax seed meal; using brown instead of white sugar; and using 1/2 Crisco instead of all butter. Both versions are good. I guess I just have a hard time cooking the same scone twice.

Ingredients

1.5 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

1.5 c. whole wheat flour

3 TB packed, light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder

2 TB flaxseed meal

5 TB shortening (Crisco)

5 TB cold, unsalted butter

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/4 c. milk

half & half

course sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment. Whisk together dry ingredients. Break up clumps of brown sugar with your fingers, if necessary. Cut in shortening & butter with pastry cutter or two knives or a fork until texture is like course crumbs. Toss in chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and add yogurt and milk. Stir just until mixture begins to hold together.

Turn onto counter and knead about 8 times. Dough will be soft. Pat into small rectangle (~ 4" x 8") and fold bottom third up halfway; top third down over that. Like a letter. Pat into same size rectangle again. Cut in half with a large knife and shape each half into an 8" round, patted about 1.5" thick. Slice each round into 8 wedges. Place on prepared sheet and brush tops with half & half; sprinkle with course sugar. Bake 15 minutes or until tops/edges are golden brown and your kitchen smells good.

Makes 16. This dough, once cut into wedges also freezes well, too. Place on baking sheet and freeze until solid, then place in a freezer bag. Good for a few months, at least.

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