Dark Chocolate Chip Cream Scones – buttery, flaky scones studded with chocolate chips are the perfect breakfast or tea time snack!

Dark Chocolate Chip Cream Scones

Craving chocolate. What can I make with chocolate that still qualifies as breakfast, not dessert? Chocolate chip pancakes? Nah… Chocolate chip muffins? Not feeling it… I’ve got it! Scones! I’ll make scones!

You should make these next time you want something different because they come together in a flash and they’re so versatile.

The flavors and mix-ins are as limitless as your imagination.

Basically a scone is a spiffed up version of a biscuit. It’s made with cream instead of milk and has the addition of an egg so it’s richer and creamier, with a crisp exterior, but soft and fluffy inside.

In order to get that melt-in-your-mouth quality it’s important to use very cold butter.

This ensures the scones will bake up moist and flaky.

My technique for recipes that call for “cutting in” butter with a pastry blender is to freeze the butter solid then grate it into my dry ingredients using the large holes of a box grater.

Works like a charm! I get perfect scones, biscuits and pastry crusts every time.

My favorite way to eat a scone is doused in plain cream.

They’re also scrumptious with butter and dusted with powdered sugar.

You can drizzle with honey, glaze in icing, dollop with sweetened cream cheese, or top with jam.

Or pumpkin butter, which I was going to make, but I forgot because all I could think was chocolate! 

The toppings are about as endless as the mix-ins.

If you’d like to make more than 1 flavor at a time (certain family members don’t like chocolate–what!) there are instructions following the recipe for adding (or not adding) mix-ins after the dough has been formed.

 

Variation:

If you’d like to make more than one flavor at a time, follow the method pictured below and roll the dough into a 12×12 inch square.

Fold into thirds like a letter, then fold up the sides into thirds to form a 4×4 square.

Stick in the freezer for 5 minutes to re-chill, then roll into a 12×12 square again.

Sprinkle with desired mix-ins and pat into dough.

Keep in mind that 3 inches equals 1 flavor and will make 2 scones.

You can make up to 4 different flavors in one batch.

Starting at the bottom, roll up dough like a cinnamon roll and pinch seam to close.

Place seam side down and pat into a 12×8 inch rectangle.

Cut into 4 rectangles, then cut each rectangle in half diagonally to form 2 triangles.

The things I do to please everyone’s taste buds!

Mix-in ideas:

• Cranberries (dried or fresh) + 1 teaspoon of orange zest, if desired
• Blueberries (fresh or frozen) + 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, if desired
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• Cinnamon chips
• White chocolate chips and dried cherries
• Shredded cheese (omit sugar)