Showcase a good quality bittersweet chocolate in these tasty baked treats, best served warm from the oven with lashings of Chocolate-Mascarpone Cream and strawberry jam.
Chocolate Scones
Serves: approximately 14
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 ounce finely grated bittersweet chocolate*
- 1 ounce finely chopped bittersweet chocolate*
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in grated and chopped chocolate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup cold cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture, stirring until evenly moist. (Mixture will look dry and shaggy.) Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough begins to form. (Dough will be firm. If mixture seems dry and dough won’t come together, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Avoid adding too much extra cream, though, or scones will not hold their shape when baked.)
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently by patting dough and folding it in half 4 to 5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch fluted round cutter dipped in flour, cut as many scones as possible from dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Brush tops of scones with remaining 1 tablespoon cream and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Bake until edges of scones are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
*We used Guittard.
Chocolate-Mascarpone Cream
Serves: approximately ½ cup
The French would surely rave about this luscious spread that uses mascarpone, a rich, creamy Italian cheese that is quite similar to English clotted cream, as the base.
Ingredients
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 3 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat together mascarpone cheese, cream, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract with a mixer at low speed until combined. Increase speed to high, and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: Chocolate-Mascarpone Cream can be made up to a day in advance, stored in a covered container, and refrigerated until needed.
