afternoon tea: delicious chocolate-almond scone recipe

I frequently mourn the fact that Eli and I live in the US, where afternoon tea is not a widespread tradition. We both drink quarts of tea a day (morning, afternoon, and evening!) and have extensive collections of tea from all over the world. Scones are an essential companion to tea, but they are also delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert. This is my classic recipe for delicious, fluffy chocolate-almond scones. Eli and I (and our families and friends!) have enjoyed this treat for years.

Note: Though this recipe calls for chocolate chips and almonds, you can switch these ingredients out with all kinds of fruits, nuts, or other flavours. Fresh blueberries or dried cherries are classic alternatives, but a unique variation that I really love is chopped bartlett pears, shredded asiago cheese, and dried rosemary for savoury scones.

Ingredients (makes eight scones):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour) you can also substitute whole-wheat or gluten-free flour for a healthier alternative, though the stick of butter later on kind of defeats any attempts at healthiness...)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (one stick)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons almond extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup diced almonds (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter in with two knives (or a pastry cutter, which is much easier; just knead it in if neither of these seem to work) until only small lumps remain. Mix in chocolate chips and buttermilk. The recipe includes almond extract, which adds a lot of almond flavour and fragrance on its own, but you can also add in the optional diced almond pieces for additional almondy-ness!

Turn onto a lightly floured surface to knead. Knead as little as possible, just until everything stays together, then form into a one-inch thick circle. Cut most of the way through the circle to form eight pieces, but leave them adjoined. Cooking the scones all together like this will ensure that they retain more moisture and don't dry out, which they might if they are cooked individually.

Lightly dust the top of the circle with granulated sugar (makes a slightly crunchy and sweet crust on the scones after they've baked!) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are soft golden, and you can insert a knife into the center and it comes away clean. Let them cool for a little while, but try to taste them while they're still fresh from the oven. They do store well for about a week in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!!