Marble Scones
Submitted by lslagle
Marble scones with swirled chocolate and vanilla doughs folded together for stunning ribbons of bittersweet chocolate. A buttermilk-tender showpiece scone for brunch or afternoon tea.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
45 minThese scones are visual drama. Two separate doughs (one plain vanilla buttermilk, one made with melted semisweet chocolate) get folded together with strategic dotting and a few light kneads, producing wedges shot through with dark chocolate ribbons. The technique is bakery-window pretty, and the flavor delivers what the look promises: tender vanilla scone with bittersweet chocolate streaks in every bite.
The marbling method matters. Make both doughs to the same consistency, then dot half the chocolate dough across the plain dough, fold over, dot the rest on top, and knead just 5 or 6 times. Knead more and the marble blurs into uniform brown; knead less and you get clumps of chocolate dough rather than ribbons. The 5-or-6-times count is the sweet spot.
Real melted chocolate (not cocoa powder) is what makes these special. Cocoa scones taste like wheat with cocoa added; chocolate scones with melted semisweet chocolate taste like proper chocolate.
Pro Tips
- Cool the melted chocolate slightly before mixing into the buttermilk. Hot chocolate seizes when it hits cold dairy and turns grainy.
- Use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, not milk. The dough already has sugar; milk chocolate makes the result cloying.
- Don’t overknead the marbled dough. The 5-6 turns is the maximum; even one extra kneading pass can blur the swirls.
- Pierce the tops with fork tines as the directions specify. The holes vent steam and prevent the scones from puffing into rounded mounds.
Variations
- Use white chocolate in place of semisweet for a black-and-white effect with a sweeter, more vanilla-forward chocolate ribbon.
- Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the plain dough for a chocolate-orange flavor combo.
- Drizzle warm scones with extra melted chocolate for a doubly indulgent dessert finish.
Ingredients
Directions
- Heat oven to 425’F. Grease large baking sheet. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Remove 1¼ cup flour mixture to medium-size bowl.
- In small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla. In cup, combine ¼ cup buttermilk mixture and the chocolate. Add remaining buttermilk mixture to remaining flour mixture in large bowl and mix lightly with fork until it clings together and forms a soft dough.
Add chocolate mixture to the reserved 1¼ cup flour mixture in medium-size bowl and stir with fork until it forms a soft dough.
- Turn both doughs out onto lightly floured surface; divide chocolate dough into 6 pieces. Dot 3 chocolate pieces over surface of plain dough.
Fold plain dough over and dot with remaining 3 pieces chocolate dough; knead 5 or 6 times to marbleize dough.
Divide dough in half.
With lightly floured rolling pin, roll one half of dough into a 7-inch round.
Cut into 4 wedges. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
Place scones, 1 inch apart, on greased baking sheet. Pierce tops with tines of fork.
Bake scones 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm.
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