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.

One Year Ago: Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Chocolate Toffee Scones

Yields 8-10 scones, depending on size

Toffee Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
1 cup chocolate toffee pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse sand. Alternatively, if using a stand mixer, mix in butter with paddle attachment until butter is pea-sized or smaller. Mix in the chocolate toffee pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream and egg until well blended. Pour cream into scone mixture and mix until it comes together as a dough (you may need to add a tablespoon or two more cream if dough is too dry).

On a lightly floured surface, place dough and form into a circle, flattening the top until dough is roughly an inch thick. Cut dough into 8 pie-shaped pieces (or use a 1-1/2 inch to 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut out scones) and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until scones are lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature before glazing.

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt together chocolate chips and butter until smooth. Remove from heat.

Dip each scone bottom into the chocolate glaze and set on a parchment lined baking sheet for glaze to set. Place remaining glaze into a plastic bag, cut off a corner, and drizzle chocolate on top of scones for an extra touch.