Chocolate Toffee Scones

There is a brunch served in a nearby restaurant that I dream about on Sunday mornings. I use the term "nearby" loosely—it is a three hour North Dakota drive away, but I find myself there more often than you'd think. I always eat too much, as one does when faced with a buffet line of dozens of favorite brunch delicacies. There are the scones, the eggs Benedict, the biscuits and gravy, and the pasta dishes (of which I make sure to sample at least once).

However, the french toast is the reason I keep coming back.

Like an ice cream sundae bar lined with the best toppings, so does this restaurant treat their french toast. Oreos, nuts, chocolate shavings, and crumbled heath bars accompany the crushed strawberries, the jellied blueberries, and the classic maple syrup. It's a brunch lover's dream come to fruition. And mine, all mine, for the taking.

This brunch is where I discovered my true love for toffee. Atop a hot piece of french toast drowned in maple syrup, I crumbled these chocolate toffee pieces, allowing the chocolate to melt and pool over the top of the french toast while the toffee retained its textured crunch. Though I considered this my "dessert," it was never rare to go back for seconds or thirds of this sweet, indulgent treat.

As long as I ignored the sidelong glances of my concerned, horrified companions, nothing would stand between me and my coveted french toast.

Since discovering my weakness for chocolate and toffee, I've found myself imagining all of the terrifically wicked ways to use it in every day baking. As an homage to the toffee-covered french toast that started this madness, I thought scones would be a fitting first start. We can save my other toffee-covered fantasies for later.

A decadent breakfast every now and then never hurts anybody, right?

These Chocolate Toffee Scones are subtle, kind, and never too sweet. The sweetness comes from the multitude of chocolate toffee pieces scattered throughout the delicate scone. Never to be outdone, I dipped the bottoms of the scones in a rich chocolate glaze to give an added touch of chocolate. These are delicious with a cup of coffee for an afternoon snack, but if you choose to eat them for breakfast with a cup of tea I won't send a judging glance your way.

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Roasted Pepper Feta Scones

When I worked in a small bakery, my first responsibility of the day was to fill the pastry case with hot, freshly baked scones. In the darkness of the morning hours, scones were simple enough for my tired mind to understand. Flour, butter, and baking powder—the essentials—were assembled at my right hand. The hum of the mixer accompanied by my practiced motion of tossing in the ingredients became the melody to the break of day.

Once in the case, there was only a brief moment of respite before moving onto the next task.

Though the scones were simple enough of a task to my weary mind, I quickly grew tired of them. I resented the spicy peach scones for taking so much longer to assemble. The raspberry white chocolate tested my patience when the raspberries often gave the dough too much moisture (and the scones would bake up as flat as a pancake). The blueberry became a disappointment whenever the bright blueberry color would bleed throughout the batter instead of staying intact.

These scones became my labor of love. I worked hard to produce consistent scones, despite each varieties' quirks. On those mornings when I wasn't ready to face a fight with raspberry white chocolate scones (again), I started inventing my own flavors, with the ingredients hiding around the bakery. Apple cinnamon, white chocolate mocha cappuccino, and chocolate mint became hits among the regulars. These scones were the one item at the bakery I could truly call my own.

Nevertheless, when my time at the bakery came to a close, I was in no hurry to whip up another batch of scones any time soon. After making thousands of scones by hand (and nibbling on too many stale scones destined for the trash), I think I've had my fair share for the next few months (or, to be honest, years).

However, since I rarely made savory scones at the bakery, they still intrigue me. Just about anything could end up in a savory scone—how was anyone supposed to choose? After a little creative thinking (and a craving for roasted bell peppers), these Roasted Pepper Feta Scones were born. Finally a scone that isn't just for breakfast!

Roasted Pepper Feta Scones are buttery, light, and flavorful. Featuring roasted peppers, feta cheese, and green onion, these three flavors come together to make a scone that is as welcome at lunch time as breakfast. You may roast the bell peppers yourself or, for convenience, pick up a jar of roasted peppers at the local market. These tips for making mile-high, flaky biscuits also apply to making scones: check them out!

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Lemon Blueberry Scones

Scones are one of those elusive pastries for me. I know I've mentioned it before, but it's quite rare for me to make a batch of scones and have them actually taste edible, let alone delicious. I've ruined more scone recipes than cakes, cookies, and tarts combined. That is quite a few scones, I might add. There is little more disappointing than tossing a fresh batch of scones into the trash can (all that butter to waste!).

Well, perhaps it is a bit more disappointing when you leave them on the counter to taunt you, hoping desperately that they will taste better the next time you grab a bite. But, as life should have it, scones aren't made of magic and they don't taste better—they might even taste worse. The scones just become a sad, pitiful reminder of what they could have been had you not miserably messed them up. Then you throw them in the trash. That's a bit more disappointing.

Not that I speak from experience or anything.

The method for making scones is actually quite simple. In fact, if you have a stand mixer, you can whip up a batch in less than five minutes (seriously!). First the butter is cut into the dry ingredients. Delicious extras (like fruit or chocolate chips) are then stirred in before mixing in the wet ingredients, which forms the mess into a dough. Making a batch of cookies is just as complicated as making scones, in all seriousness.

Which is exactly why I'm so confused that I can't seem to master the art of the scone. Perhaps practice will make perfect?

Either way, I have been practicing.

The Lemon Blueberry Scones I'm sharing with you today were so good I made them two days in a row. Very few recipes receive that kind of honor from me. The first batch I shared with a few neighbors (after eating two straight from the oven). The second batch was solely for myself, which I later realized was too dangerous an idea for my hips and ended up giving the remaining scones away to save my pants size.

To put it plainly, these scones are so delicious you will have to share them or else risk eating the entire batch by yourself. I think these are the perfect morning breakfast to serve when you've had a few guests spend the night. Not only are there enough scones to go around, but everyone will look at you like a scone-making god.

Now, tell me, who wouldn't want to be looked up to like that?

I think my scone phobia has officially been conquered.

These Lemon Blueberry Scones balance perfectly on the edge of sweet and tart, moist and crumbly, and light and dense. The scones themselves are not terribly sweet (the blueberries are the primary source of sweetness) and the addition of lemon zest adds a delightful tartness to the overall flavor. The lemon glaze itself is sweet and helps to balance out the flavors (don't skip the glaze!). The texture of these scones is also worth noting. The outside of the scone is dry and crumbly, while the inside is moist and rich, almost like a cake. This makes each bite interesting and a play on opposing textures. The scone is also fairly light (you won't feel like you are eating cake for breakfast), but is dense enough to fill you up.

These scones are worth your time. Trust me.

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