Chocolate Chip Scones (Makes 12)

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400 degrees with oven rack in the middle of the oven. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. In a separate bowl, combine whipping cream and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until clumps form, making slightly sticky dough. Stir in chocolate chips.

Place dough on a well-floured work surface. Knead gently 8 to 10 times until the dough holds together and is no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to a thickness of about ½ inch. Cut scones with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Press firmly with biscuit cutter to cut through the chocolate chips. If dough sticks, dip cutter into flour before each cut.

Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with a little flavored c.a.n.e. sugar (try Espresso, Tangerine, Vanilla Bean, or Dark Cocoa).

Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until scones are no longer moist and are firm when pressed lightly with a finger. Serve at once, or cool on a wire cooling rack.

The reference for the recipe is:  Baking basics and beyond by Pat Sinclair