1st Blogiversary!

Wow... It's hard to believe that a year has gone by since I started this blog.  I admit, I haven't done much with it, but now that I'm posting on a somewhat regular schedule, I hope to go further and experiment more in the kitchen.

However, right now I'll post one of my all-time favorite baking recipes: Chocolate Chunk Scones.

Chocolate Chunk Scones
2 cups flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Butter a 9-inch-diameter circle on a wax paper lined baking sheet.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute evenly over flour mixture.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. In small bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.
5. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine.
6. Stir in chocolate chunks.  The dough should be sticky.
7. Spread dough into 8-inch-diameter circle in center of prepared baking sheet.  With a serrated knife, cut into 9 wedges.
8. Bake 17-19 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into center of a scone comes out clean.
9. Remove baking sheet to wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.  Using a spatula, transfer scones from sheet to rack to cool.  Recut if necessary.  Serve warm or store in an airtight container after cooled.  Makes 8 scones.

Breaking it down:
Combine flour, brown sugar, baking power, baking soda, and salt...

 Cut butter and add...

 Cut in with a pastry blender until it looks like this:

 Combine buttermilk, egg, and vanilla...

 Pour into flour mixture...

...and stir.

 Add chocolate chunks...

 ....and plop onto your prepared baking sheet.

 Spread it out in a (mostly) circular shape...

 ...and cut into 8 pieces with a serrated knife.

Bake for 17-19 minutes at 400 degrees F and remove from oven.

Let cool 5 minutes on a wire rack, then let the individual scones cool the wire rack.  Serve and love every bite of it.

I know I did!
Happy Blogiversary again,
-JJ