Orange Chocolate Scones with Toasted Hazelnuts

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Orange Chocolate Scones with Toasted Hazelnuts || To Salt & See. These scones are rich, satisfying, and packed with flavor! The hint of orange is the perfect amount for balancing the sweetness with citrus without being too overpowering. There is dou…

Happy September - aka the gateway to Fall! I feel like summer flew by and yet the end of last winter feels like a million years ago. It’s funny how time works out like that isn’t it? Right now is Minnesota State Fair Time, which is called “the great Minnesota get-together” here, and this is the first year that we aren’t going! To be honest, I only wanted to go last year to get some Sweet Martha’s cookies bc omg they are mouth-wateringly good. They are served straight from the oven and you can even buy them by the bucket! It’s best to grab some milk from the all you can drink milk stand to dunk the cookies in. The fact that there is an all you can drink milk stand at the fair here is just so Minnesotan, I love it.

Fall, into winter, is actually going to be a really busy time for us here. Alex is currently applying to residency programs and will fly around the country during fall to go on interviews. I also have some visits that I am super pumped for! My mom is coming out in October, because that’s when all the good fall colors are prime, and in November I have a reunion weekend in Palm Springs planned with my college roommates! Eeppp!! We live in various states, so getting the opportunity to all see one another is very rare and special. These girls are all amazing and so inspiring, and I can’t wait to spend time with them!

So to celebrate the transition into Fall, I made these Orange Chocolate Scones with Toasted Hazelnuts. These scones are rich, satisfying, and packed with flavor. The hint of orange comes from a few teaspoons of orange zest, and it is the perfect amount for balancing the sweetness with citrus without being too overpowering. I doubled the chocolate flavoring by having both cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the batter. After baking, the warm scones are dipped in a powder sugar glaze, drizzled with melted chocolate, then, finally, topped with toasted hazelnuts. The chocolate drizzle and hazelnuts will certainly have you dreaming of nutella.

I brought these scones into work (along with another recipe that will soon be shared!) and they were a major hit. Honestly, this flavoring combo is one of my favorite to date. After just one bite and I was swooning. The best part is that these scones aren’t difficult to make. I know a lot of people are afraid of making scones because they can be finicky, but trust me, you can do it! It’s definitely worth it! ;)

Orange Chocolate Scones with Toasted Hazelnuts

Prep time:

Bake time:

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 egg
  • 3 teaspoons orange zest
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla, divided
  • 1 2/3 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, FROZEN, grated
  • 2/3 cup + 1/2 cup chocolate chips, divided
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, orange zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in the grated butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
  5. Add in the wet ingredients. Quickly, but gently combine until no flour is visible. Gently fold in 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Do not overwork.
  6. Transfer the batter to a lightly floured surface. Dust your palms with cocoa powder, and form the batter into a disk with 3/4 inch thickness.
  7. Cut into 8 triangular slices. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, placing in a circle, 1 1/2 inches apart from one another.
  8. Brush the scones with 1 Tablespoon heavy cream.
  9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean.
  10. In the meantime, make the glaze. In a wide based bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside.
  11. When the scones are done, transfer to a cooling rack with paper towels underneath. Let cool for 5 minutes, then dunk the warm scones into the glaze, return to the cooling rack to finish cooling.
  12. Decrease oven temperature to 350F. Spray a small baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place the chopped hazelnuts on the baking sheet, and toast for 15 minutes.
  13. In a small bowl, melt 1/2 cup chocolate by heating in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir until smooth. Transfer to a small ziplock bag, and cut off a small corner to use it as a piping bag. Drizzle the chocolate on top of the scones, and sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts.
  14. Scones are best the same day. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.