Cinnamon Choc-Chip Scones

Scones are delicious but these Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones are just tooooooo delicious to describe. They're like a mix between a scone and a cookie — light, crunchy with a chewy centre, sweet and buttery, these scones are NOT to be eaten with butter, jam or clotted cream. 

No, these beauties have to be enjoyed on their own with a steaming cup of tea (spiced tea would be the perfect companion) or coffee. 

The recipe for these Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones are adapted from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.  A big thank you to her for my wonderful Sunday tea time treat. The Pioneer Woman's recipe has no chocolate chips. She uses cinnamon chips which, hard as I looked, are not available in any of the three grocers I visited. Since I had a half-used bag of chocolate chips at home, I went with them. Chocolate and cinnamon do go together well, after all.

They may be hybrid scones but all the rules of a traditional scone apply here: sift the flour to incorporate more air (hence a lighter texture) and don't overwork the dough. Keep your rolling pins away; just shape the wettish dough with your bare (slightly floured) hands. 

That's it. 

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones

3 cups all purpose flour, sifted

5 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

226g butter, cold and cubed

33/4 cups heavy cream

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2-3/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

11/2 tsp heavy cream

Sift the flour (yes, the already sifted flour), baking powder, cinnamon and salt together and mix in the sugar. Add the cubed butter and using a knife or a pastry cutter (or your mixer/food processor) and mix them together till you get what appears to be coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg, vanilla, choc chips and the cream and mix until a dough forms. Don't worry, it is supposed to be a little wet.

Transfer the dough onto your lightly floured work surface and gently pat it into a rectangle, about 1cm thick.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

It's time to make the topping: just combine the cinnamon and the sugar and the cream together.

Rub the topping all over the surface of the dough.

Using a lightly floured knife, cut the dough into squares, rectangles or triangles — the shape is up to you.

Transfer the shapes onto a lines baking sheet and bake for 18-20 mins.

Cocktail Scones

I miss being younger (for I am still young, dammit). I used be able to enjoy a half-dozen cocktails and still be able to sound coherent, walk a straight line and wake up the next morning without a hangover. 

I even used to -- occasionally of course -- have a mid-afternoon cocktail (yes, on a work day) and still be able to go back to work with a clear-ish head.

Oh how I miss those days. 

These days, a single glass of Amarula (on the rocks, mind you. And mixed with milk) will having me sprawled on the couch, laughing at nothing in particular.  

If you are thinking, "wimp", I don't blame you. 

So, these days I take my alcohol in my food. 

Don't feel bad for me, it's not quite so sad. In fact it's pretty awesome and these rum-laced scones are proof of that. Now the 2 tbsp of rum will not make anyone drunk. But the rum sure gives these scones flavour and, I don't know if I am imagining it, they did put a little pep in my step.

Imagine this: rum (Captain Morgan, of course), coconut and pineapple. Does that sound like a vacation or what?

Told you not to feel sorry for me -- I'm having a party in my mouth and tummy. 

Party-in-your-mouth Scones

2.5 cups plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

85gm unsalted butter, cold and cut in 1cm cubes

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped pineapple (I used canned pineapple)

1/3 cup greek yoghurt

2 tbsp rum

Preheat the oven to 200C. 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter and using your fingertips mix it into the flour till the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. You can also use a mixer (with the paddle attachment) on low speed.

Add the pineapple and gently stir into the dough. Add the yoghurt and the rum and mix them in gently.

the dough should be sticky but you can add about 1/3 cup more flour if it is too wet.

Transfer the dough onto a well floured surface and shape it into a rectangle with your hands. Don't handle it too much. Divide and cut the rectangle into eight squares and transfer onto a lined baking sheet. 

Bake for 15 mins or until lightly golden on top. 

Cheesy Scallion Scones

When you think of scones, it's only natural, I guess, to think of clotted cream and jam. Thick, sweet, strawberry jam. Drool, right?

But wait. These flavoured savoury scones are pretty good without the cream or jam. These scones  — full of cheese (two types) and finely chopped scallions — are best eaten with just butter, fresh out of the oven of course.

Oh so good is what they are.

As you may have guessed, scones are my latest obsession. Since I made the strawberry and cream cheese scones a couple of weeks back, I have been having quite a bit of fun playing with different flavour combinations for scones, some savoury, some sweet. Raisins, mixed herbs, lemon and cheese, orange (and rum) and pineapple (and rum) were among the flavours I played with. While they were all tasty (the rum-flavoured scones are a work-in-progress and will be featured separately once perfected), these cheese and scallion scones were my absolute favourite.

Now scones don't take long to make. They may be in the bread family but they're quick breads which basically mean they don't use yeast. As a result, you don't need to wait for the dough to rise before you shape or bake them.

And, because the secret to a soft and light scone is not to overwork the dough, you don't need to knead the dough. Less is more when it comes to handling the dough.

I used cheddar + cream cheese for these scones but I am going to try some other cheese combinations: feta would be good, I am sure, with the cream cheese. As would Swiss white cheese. Parmesan, yup. Gruyere, am sure would work too.  The scallions can be replaced with chives or dill.

Cheesy Scallion Scones
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp + 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/3 −1/2  cup chopped scallions
1 egg
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 200C.

Whisk the flours, salt and baking powder together. Add the cheeses and gently stir with a fork so they are incorporated into the flour. Add the milk and eggs and again, gently stir with a fork till the mixture forms a soft dough. Add a couple of tbsp more flour if necessary (but bear in mind the flour must be soft and slightly sticky.

Transfer to a floured surface and shape into a circle, about 2 cm thick.

Don't overwork the flour.

Cut the circle into 8-10 segments/wedges.

Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and let it rest for 10 mins.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins or until the scones begin to get golden.

Remove and cool on a rack. Eat warm with butter.

Strawberry, Ricotta and Yoghurt Scones

Pretty? Pretty darn good is what these scones are. I got them off Smitten Kitchen -- hers were Raspberry Ricotta Scones. I used strawberries instead because frozen raspberries cost a bomb-and-a-half here (and we hardly get them fresh).

I kinda feel like a stalker though as this is the second Smitten Kitchen recipe I've tried in a week: the first was a cheese, honey and sea-salt flat bread which was really to die for. And now, this. But, really, I am no stalker though I like the blog a lot.

Let me explain. I was out shopping. I saw this carton of strawberries -- imported from Driscolls in the United States -- for just RM10. I had to get it even though I had no idea what I would do with them. Maybe jam? Anyway, I bought them. They looked lovely. So bright, so juicy. 

I went home and went on my daily blog patrol (I visit my favourite blog sites a couple of times each  week) and I saw  the raspberry scone post on SK. Sooooooo pretty. Oh my god. I had to make them. I'd use the strawberries I bought! (that was a light bulb moment, btw).

So you see. I am not a stalker. I had the strawberries already.

Scones.So quintessentially British, right? I've made scones a few times before and I have eaten them many, many times, mostly with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Am I tempting you yet? Well, with this scone, you don't need cream or jam. Just a little butter, perhaps.

Scones are quick breads. They're pretty straightforward to make, technique-wise that is unlike the French Macaron for which factors beyond your control like the temperature of your kitchen or the humidity in the air impact on the baked product. No, scones are less complicated to make. But, having said that, getting a light, fluffy and moist scone (the way I like them) isn't a sure thing. In fact, it's a lot easier to end up with a dry, heavy and flat baked piece of dough (I am unwilling to call these scones) that's more like a thick biscuit than anything. I'm not dissing; I'm sharing as I've been down that road before.

Check out this article in The Guardian on How To Make The Perfect Scone and you'll begin to understand the science behind this treat. And then there's this other article in the same publication about how you should eat your scones -- so you spread the jam first and only then add a dollop of cream or is it the other way around. The English do take their scones seriously.

Me, I just wanted a light, soft, fluffy and pretty scone.

Apart from swapping the raspberries for strawberries, I also made a few alterations to the original recipe from SK. I used Greek yoghurt instead of double cream and I changed the ratios between the whole wheat flour and plain flour indicated in the recipe. Minor changes and thankfully they didn't adversely affect the scone turn out. They were soft, light and the baked strawberries were jammy and nice. Perhaps, next time I will add a little more baking powder or as the Guardian article suggests, mix a little bicarbonate soda to the blend. 

Next time. For now, I will leave you with the original recipe, indicating the changes I made.

Strawberry Ricotta Yoghurt Scones 

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used 11/4 cups)

1 cup all purpose flour (I used 3/4 cup)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

85g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 cup fresh strawberries, roughly chopped up

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Greek yoghurt/double cream

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Whisk the flours, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.  Add the butter and using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the chopped strawberries and mix with a wooden spoon till the strawberries are well incorporated with the crumbly flour. It's fine if the strawberries get a little mushy and colour the flour. In fact, it kinda looks really pretty this way.

Add the ricotta and the yoghurt/cream and gently stir in with a spatula until the mixture comes together to form a dough. It will be a little wet and sticky, don't panic. 

Generously flour your work surface and your hands, and gently move the dough from the bowl onto your work surface. You will need to flour your hands else the dough will stick to you.

Sprinkle some dough on the dough and gently press it into a 15-20cm square that's 1-1.5 cm high. Cut into nine small and equal squares and then transfer them one by one onto a lines baking sheet. Use a floured spatula/knife to do the transfer.

Bake for about 15 mins or till the sides start to get golden. The smell of the strawberries and the butter will be irresistible but take heed of the next step. Remove and let the scones cool before you eat them. They will set as they cool. But, don't let them get cold though cos scones are best eaten warm.