Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones
Submitted by LKilbride
Chocolate peanut butter scones with bittersweet chocolate hidden inside, chopped peanuts throughout, and a brown sugar dough. A bakery-style treat with a melting chocolate center.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThese scones are stuffed. Two rounds of peanut butter dough sandwiched around a piece of bittersweet chocolate that melts into a gooey pocket during baking. Break one open warm and you get that slow, dark chocolate pull against the nutty, crumbly dough.
The scone dough itself is rich with ¾ cup of creamy peanut butter, cold butter cut into the flour, brown sugar, and chopped peanuts kneaded in at the end. It’s a cross between a traditional British scone and a peanut butter cookie, with that crumbly-tender texture that comes from cutting cold fat into flour.
Pat the dough to ½ inch thick and cut 16 rounds. Half go on the baking sheet, each gets a piece of chocolate, then the other half goes on top with edges pressed to seal. That seal keeps the chocolate from leaking out during baking.
Seventeen to 19 minutes in the oven gives you a lightly browned exterior with the chocolate just molten inside.
Chef Tips
- Keep the butter cold and work quickly. Warm butter means flat, dense scones instead of flaky ones
- Press the edges firmly but gently to seal. A good seal keeps the chocolate inside where it belongs
- Serve warm for the best chocolate experience. The center firms up as it cools
- Use a crinkled cutter for a more traditional scone appearance
Variations
- Skip the stuffing method and fold ¾ cup chocolate chips into the dough, then pat into a 9-inch round and cut into wedges
- Use chunky peanut butter for even more nut texture throughout
- Drizzle with melted chocolate after cooling for a more indulgent presentation
Ingredients
Directions
Break chocolate into 8 equal pieces.
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture.
With a pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter mixture to the flour mixture and knead until combined.
Knead in the peanuts.
Pat the dough out into a ½-inch thickness on a cutting board.
Using a floured 2½ in. to 3-in. diameter crinkled round biscuit cutter, cut out rounds from the dough.
Gather the scraps together and repeat until all the dough is used and there are 16 round.
Place 8 of the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet.
Top each round with a piece of the chocolate and one of the remaining circles of dough.
Press the edges gently to seal.
Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes.
Using a spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool.
Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container.
VARIATION Make the dough as above, omitting bittersweet chocolate, substituting ½ cup unsalted peanuts for the chopped peanuts and kneading in ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips at the same time.
Put the dough into a 9-inch diameter circle on a baking sheet.
With a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges.
Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tested or toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.
Cool as above and recut into wedges, if necessary.
Comments
