Almond

Chocolate Almond Scones

April 19, 2017
4.3
3 Ratings
Photo by Posie Harwood
  • Makes 16 scones
Author Notes

Almond paste gives these scones a tender, moist texture—they're less light and flaky than a classic scone. I love how they combine the best characteristics of a slice of fudgy chocolate cake (a moist, dense crumb) with those of a scone (crumbly pastry, breakfast-acceptable, quick and non-fussy to bake). —Posie (Harwood) Brien

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 7 ounces almond paste, cut into chunks
  • 3 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cold
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder (I prefer black if you can find it)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a food processor, pulse together the almond paste, flour, butter, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stop when the almond paste and butter are in coarse pieces, some as large as a dime and some as small as peas. You don't want the mixture to be too fine or the scones will be quite dense. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
  3. Whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just combined. When the dough is just starting to come together, turn it out onto a work surface and bring it together by folding it over onto itself a few times gently and pressing down. Try not to overwork the dough! You want to keep the bits of butter cold and separate.
  5. Divide the dough in half, and refrigerate one half while you shape the other. Press the first half into a round disc about 1 1/2" thick. Transfer the disc to one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the other half.
  6. Slice the disc into 8 wedges. (I find it helps to freeze the dough for about 20 minutes first, as the dough can be a bit sticky.) Separate the wedges slightly to allow space for them to expand as they bake.
  7. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with sparkling sugar if you want—totally optional! Bake for 15-20 minutes, then let cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Posie (Harwood) Brien
    Posie (Harwood) Brien
  • CJ
    CJ

2 Reviews

CJ May 1, 2017
Have you thought of adding slivered almonds to the top of the scones or mixed in the dough?
 
Posie (. May 1, 2017
I haven't tried this but it would be awesome! If you mix them into the dough, I'd suggest toasting them slightly first and would also probably chop them roughly.