chocolate malt cream scones

So I make scones at work. Everyday. Always baking them off to that golden edged perfection. Their is a sweet and a more savory one. The scent of the butter and sugar with the unique ingredients like orange blossom and herbs takes over the whole kitchen. I love the smell of them. So even after making them everyday, I come home and still want to make more, but these for me. I wanted some kind of a classic scones with just a bit of a kick. So after searching through my cupboards, I found a bottle of malted milk powder that I had completely forgotten about. I know their were bars of chocolate somewhere. So it was decided, Chocolate Malt Cream Scones.

After waiting the exceeding long 15 minutes for then to bake in the oven and the barely 5 minutes I allowed them to cool, it was time to break one open. Of course the chocolate was still piping hot, the whole scone was still very hot. But I didn't care. I wanted a taste. And they were great, the malt is subtle, the chocolate not overwhelming, the perfect crunchiness the outside of a scone has that make it nothing like a muffin or biscuit. So a simple but successful recipe in my eyes.

My new apartment is finally becoming more like my new home. My mattress is no longer just pushed to the corner on the floor. I actually have a bed frame. My photo props are not just props anymore, they are my kitchen  things, which I love. One lone armchair that was my great great grandparents, an old drafting table turned into my kitchen table and a little coffee table from my mom rounds out the minimal amount of furniture I have. 

And I had my first house guest that wasn't my parents coming to drop off things! My friend I had met when I was at Sac State, Raoul, a fellow photographer and a graphic designer. It had been nearly a year since we last saw each other. He made the nearly 1 1/2 hour drive down from Sac. I got to show him around my new town, we took photos, he interviewed me for a feature in the online magazine he works for Vhcle. My dad put him to work when they brought up the frame, then we were off to Gotts, just a few blocks away for burgers and shakes. Then finishing off the night with drinks at Goose and Gander. A bar that is popular among hipsters my co-worker told me, so I knew it would be the perfect place to take Raoul. 

Chocolate Malt Cream Scones

(An adaptation of a Williams-Sonoma Recipe)

315g         AP flour

60g          granulated sugar

1 tbsp       baking powder

½ tsp        salt

2 tbsp       malted milk powder

90g          butter, cold & cubed

100g         chopped dark, good quality, chocolate

180ml        heavy cream

Topping

2 tbsp       heavy cream

1 tbsp       coarse sugar

Oven 425 F

Best done in a food processor. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt & malted milk powder. Pulse just to combine. Scatter in butter & pulse a few times until coarse crumbs.

Add in the chocolate & cream, pulse until just moistened.

On a lightly floured surface, pat down dough into a ½ inch round. Divide into 6 wedges, using a sharp knife.

Transfer scones to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with cream, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 13-17 minutes, until golden brown tops. Best to rotate the tray around 8 minutes in, to ensure even baking.  At their peak when warm.