Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones

I think I may have fallen in love with this new scone recipe I found on the Food Network website! Every month at work, all of the case managers get together for a 3-hour meeting & tomorrow it's my turn to lead the meeting. Since it's a morning meeting, I thought, why not first fill the ladies' (I work with all women) bellies with something yummy to get the meeting started in the right direction? Plus, it gave me a reason to be barefoot & pregnant in the kitchen :)

Scones really aren't that hard to make in general, but my old (now possibly retired) recipe called for a lot more ingredients (like buttermilk) that I don't always have on hand. Plus, it's nice to simplify when it comes to baking, so I can make them in a pinch. The thing I love best about scones is that they are incredibly versatile-- you can change what "kind" of scone you make with some minor adjustments. Say one day you're wanting something nutty or chocolatey or berry-y.... you can mix & match to your heart's content!

This particular recipe (the dry ingredients anyway) can be make ahead of time & given as gifts in pretty little jars. The recipient then only would need to add a stick of butter & 1 1/4 cups of milk, plus whatever filling they desire. Such a great idea!

Cinnamon Chocolate Scones

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I also added a handful of cinnamon chips)

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

1 stick butter

1 1/4 cups milk (I used whole!)

Directions

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients. Grab a stick of butter, cut it into pieces, & with the mixer running, add the butter & mix until coarse & sandy. You should still be able to see small lumps of butter. (I actually find that it works best to just use my hands to mix it all together-- that way you can break up the butter more easily & it doesn't all clump together in a mixer). Add the milk until almost combined.

Add the chocolate chunks & mix just to distribute them evenly through the dough. Do not overmix; there may still be some flour not mixed in. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface & shape into a large, even circle.

Using a the biscuit cutter, cut out circles (I cut them like a pie because I think they look prettier that way) & place on a cookie sheet. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mmm!

Recipe taken from the Food Network