Containing dark chocolate chips and a hint of orange zest, these flavorful scones are made with whole wheat and almond flours, sweetened with whole cane sugar, and are topped with an orange glaze.
When I was growing up, I didn’t eat scones much or even know what they were. As a kid, when I heard the word “scone”, I always thought of a fancy, sweet biscuit that people must eat while drinking tea with their pinkies sticking out (no offense to anyone; I was a kid, ok?). I think my mom may have baked something resembling scones one time and that’s it. After I got married, my husband ordered a scone once at a bakery and I became curious. “What is this baked good you speak of? Can I see it? Oh, THAT’s what a scone looks and tastes like. Interesting.” Of course, based on the small amount of research I’ve done on this subject, it’s likely that what we consider scones in the U.S. are not proper scones at all according to British standards. However, since “American scones” are the only ones I know about, this recipe is based on the typical scone you’ll see in a bakery here in the U.S.
In usual Katherine style, I made a few adjustments to make my scones a little bit healthier than the classic glazed scone. Also, to be quite honest (nobody throw things at me, ok?), I’ve found the few bakery scones I’ve tried to be bland and taste something like a cardboard triangle with icing (gross), and I didn’t want my scones to taste like that.
One of my favorite flavor combos is dark chocolate and orange, so I used orange zest and dark chocolate chips in this recipe and then topped the scones with a light drizzle of orange glaze. I made my own powdered sugar using Sucanat, and really liked the resulting flavor (so much better tasting than highly processed, packaged powdered sugar in my opinion).
Casey’s favorite kind of scone is the simple blueberry version, so he was a little skeptical about the orange and dark chocolate combo. He did admit they were tasty, but says blueberry is still his favorite. I guess that means I’ll be making blueberry scones next time. 🙂
Until then, all of the orange and chocolate lovers out there like me, enjoy this recipe!
Dark Chocolate & Orange Scones with Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup Sucanat (whole cane sugar)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup frozen butter
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup milk or buttermilk (may vary depending on which you use)
- 2 more teaspoons milk or buttermilk for brushing
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar (I made my own using Sucanat)
- 2-3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together flours, Sucanat, baking powder, and salt. Grate frozen butter over dry ingredients using cheese grater, and toss with flour just until combined. (It’s ok to still have some chunks of butter; do not combine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.) Stir in dark chocolate chips.
In a smaller bowl, mix eggs, orange zest, and 1/2 cup milk together until blended. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened and mixture begins to form a loose dough. If mixture is too dry, add a little more milk to bring the total to 2/3 cup milk.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly sprinkle with flour. Divide dough in half and place halves on parchment paper. Pat each half into a circle about 6″ in diameter and about 3/4th inch thick. Brush each circle with about 1 teaspoon of milk or buttermilk. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into six wedges. Pull wedges apart from each other just slightly so that edges are not touching. Place baking sheet in freezer for 30 minutes, either uncovered or lightly covered with plastic wrap.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. After scones have chilled for 30 minutes, place baking pan in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Let cool on pans for 2-3 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. While scones are cooling, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled scones.
Note: To make your own powdered sugar using Sucanat, place 1/2 cup of Sucanat in a food processor and process until sugar forms a fine powder (1/2 cup Sucanat will make about 1 cup of powdered sugar). Use in place of regular powdered sugar in glaze.
~K in the Kitchen
KintheKitchen 
Yum! That looks delicious! If I don’t have any almond flour in my kitchen, can I just add more whole wheat flour in? 🙂
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Hey! Since whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than almond flour, I would substitute regular all purpose for the almond flour. 🙂 If you don’t have all purpose on hand, maybe try using 2/3 cup whole wheat instead of 3/4 cup almond. Hope that helps!
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Ah cool! Thanks for that 🙂
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You’re welcome!
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Chocolate and orange are so great together!! These scones sound so good for breakfast!
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Or any time! 🙂 Thanks!
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I love the way you put orange glaze on it too instead of just plain orange zest.
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Yeah, I like the orange glaze too!
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