Bakers Dozen

chocolate scones: report on sunday's meeting

Bob asked me to report on the meeting - so here are some notes. Others, please add comments if I forgot anything.

Most people thought the recipe was good. Very rich, maybe better for afternoon tea than for breakfast. We liked that the dough could be baked right from the freezer - a great way to save time in the future. Some tried making the dough in the food processor. That seemed to be a way to overcome the extreme dryness of the dough. Some added extra cream into the dough to get it to come together. Most felt that cutting the dough in smaller pieces was best - but make sure to adjust the cooking time. Those of us who tried smaller scones and baked for the time listed felt the result was overcooked. Ellen used Guittard coffee flavored chocolate (found at Fresh Seasons Market on Liberty). Carol used Kroger brand baking squares (a time saver, for sure!).

Amazon has Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook on sale for $26.40 (includes free shipping). Someone thought they saw it at Costco recently.

Here is the recipe, in case you need a copy:

Chocolate Scones from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Makes 6
These scones are so rich and dense, you may prefer to
eat them as an afternoon snack, rather than for
breakfast. Either way, they're great with coffee.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold,
cut into small pieces
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/3-inch to
1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 large whole egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Line a baking sheet with parchment; set aside. In a
large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa,
granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the buter until
the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger
clumps remaining. Fold in the chocolate.

Whisk together the whole egg and 1/2 cup plus 1
tablespoon heavy cream. Add egg mixture to the flour
mixture; using a rubber spatula, fold in, working in
all directiosn and incorporating crumbs at the bottom
of the bowl, until dough just comes together.

Turn out the dough onto a lighly floured work surface,
and gently pat into a 18-by-3 inch rectangle about 1
inch thick. Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel,
cut the rectangle into six 3-inch squares. Place
squares about 2 inches apart ont he prepare baking
sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until the
dough is very firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. (At
this point, you can freeze the unbaked scones in a
resealable plastic bag until ready to bake, up to 3
weeks.)

Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl, lightly beat
hte egg yolk with the remaining tablespoon heavy
cream; brush over the tops of the scones and sprinkle
generously with sanding sugar, if using. Bake,
rotating the sheet halfway through, until the sugar on
top of the scones turns golden all over, or a cake
tester inserted in the center of a scone comes out
clean, 25 to 30 mintues. Transfer to a wire rack to
cool. They are best eaten the day they are baked.