Chocolate Scones

Now...please don't get me wrong, I love a classic scone piled high with jam and clotted cream as much as the next person.  However, I have recently been experimenting with my scone recipe and thought I'd try a chocolate version, I'm happy to report that it was a very successful experiment!

I think these work well as a mini scone, they are a tad rich to have as a standard size, it's really up to you though.  They are fabulous topped with slightly sweetened, thickly whipped double or whipping cream (clotted cream is a bit much!) then sprinkled with chopped chocolate (bashed up Flake is my personal favourite).

Makes about 20 small scones or 8-10 large ones

Ingredients

175g Self-Raising Flour

50g Cocoa

pinch of salt

50g Butter (cold block or spreadable)

50g Caster Sugar

100g Plain Chocolate (40-50% cocoa solids), chopped finely

1 Large Egg

Milk

• Preheat the oven to 220C and line a baking tray with baking/greaseproof paper.
• Mix the self-raising flour, cocoa and a pinch of salt together in a bowl.
• If you are using block butter, grate it into the bowl of flour.  Cut through it a few times with a table knife to break up the butter and distribute it through the flour mixture.  If using spreadable just tip it into the bowl then cut through it repeatedly with a knife until the butter is in small pieces distributed evenly through the mixture.
• Add the sugar and the chopped chocolate and lightly toss to incorporate into the mixture.
• Break the egg into a measuring jug then add enough milk to make the liquid up to 150ml. Beat together with a fork then pour most of it (leaving a small amount in the jug to brush on top of the scones before baking) into the flour bowl.
• Mix with a fork until it all comes together into a soft dough.  Tip it onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll it out until it's about 2cm thick.  Cut out shapes, rolling out the dough again until you have used it all and put them onto the lined tray.  Brush the tops with the remaining milk and egg then bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• Cool on a rack...though they are delicious served when still a little warm.  The cream I like to serve with them is whipping or double cream whipped with a tablespoon or two of icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract.