Alex S, Hour 2 March Assignment

Chocolate Chip Scones

While at home on spring break, I decided to make homemade scones, coffee cake, and cookies. However, I will be evaluating on the scones that I made. I used the recipe from http://www.joyofbaking.com/SconesChocChip.html, but I did not use dried cherries in the recipe. The recipe was slightly different from the ones we made in class, but the final product was very similar. I used the biscuit method as the recipe calls for.

Recipe:

2 Cups (260 grams) All-Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup (50 grams) Sugar

1 1/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup (113 grams, 1 stick) Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup (90 grams) Chocolate Chips

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3/4 Cup Buttermilk

The scones actually turned out very well, despite the few things that could have made them taste better or have a better texture. I used the biscuit method, but I do not have a pastry blender so I had to cut the butter into small pieces and then add it to the dry mixture. The recipe called the mixture to resemble coarse crumbs, but the pieces that I had cut in were about the size of peas instead and I did my best to make them smaller, but I do not think the mixture was exactly how it was supposed to be. I also used Salted butter instead of unsalted butter, so that may have made the taste a little more sweet, but I do not think it made a big impact on the scones. After the mixture of buttermilk and vanilla extract were added, the recipe said to add more flour or buttermilk to achieve correct texture, without over-mixing. While I believe I had the correct amounts of flour and buttermilk, the dough was very sticky and I think I over-mixed because the dough was very stretchy. I struggled to cut it into triangles after patting it into a circle. 

Aside from the mistakes I may have made, the scones turned out delicious. The inviting aroma when I walked into the kitchen after baking the scones lingered throughout the house luring family members into the kitchen for breakfast. The texture was very unique with a crispy outside and tender inside with melted chocolate chips right out of the oven. They were a light, golden brown color with delicious chocolate chunks evenly distributed throughout. Inside was a tender, light, and fluffy bread substance that tasted even better. While the scones we made in class had a very bitter after-taste and were very sweet, the scones I made at home are more bland with a hint of sweet from the chocolate chips. There was no bitter after-taste, leaving one wanting more. They were more tender than they were supposed to be because the butter chunks in my dry mixture were bigger than crumbs, but I believe it made the scones even more delicious with the tender inside and crispy outside.