Dishing It Up!

by Victoria Mattson

Victoria Mattson is a local cook, confectionaire and writer. She offers healthy and nutritious recipes and food tips in each issue of North County Outlook. Phone (360) 658-9903 or e-mail victoria@northcountyoutlook.com.

As Easter Sunday approaches, I recall fond memories of Sunrise Service, Easter brunch and generous amounts of chocolate. Many Easters were spent at my aunt's house, where I remember snatching foil-covered eggs from the fully stocked candy dish and overindulging on chocolate bunnies.

In preparation for this Sunday's Easter Brunch, I have been experimenting with chocolate scone recipes. Scones are a quick bread of Scottish origin. They are popular in Ireland and Britain, where they pronounce the word to rhyme with "John."

This delightful sweet bread is easy to make from ingredients commonly found in your pantry. The basic dough is made from flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, butter and milk. A plain scone is traditionally served warm, split open, and topped with jam. This plain scone can be enhanced by adding different flavor combinations. Ingredients such as dried cherries, cranberries, raisins or orange peel can be combined with cinnamon, nuts, and definitely chocolate.

In the following recipe, I have used equal amounts of whole wheat and unbleached white flour. You could use all white flour or all whole wheat pastry flour. Buttermilk can be made by combining regular milk with lemon juice or vinegar and letting it mellow for 10 minutes.

Brushing the top of each scone with egg wash creates a shiny browned finish, and the cinnamon sugar adds a touch more sweetness. You will use only half of the egg wash, so plan to add the remaining wash to the egg dish that you are preparing for brunch.

Chocolate Chip Scones

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cherries, cranberries, raisins or chopped nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup buttermilk (or make using 2/3 cup milk plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice)

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400. Cut the cold stick of butter into small pieces. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients--flours, sugar, baking powder/soda and salt. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients, using a pastry cutter, two knives or your hands. The dough should resemble thick crumbs when the butter is properly incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried fruit or nuts. Add the vanilla to the buttermilk and then add the milk to the flour mixture. Stir this mixture just until it blends together. Do not over mix.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board. Knead 3-4 times and then gently spread the dough into an 8-inch circle, about an inch and a half thick. Cut the circle in half. Then cut each half into 6 pieces, resulting in a total of 12 triangles.

Make an egg wash by beating one egg together with 1 tablespoon milk. Make the cinnamon-sugar by combining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

Brush each triangle with the egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Place the scones 11/2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet for 4-5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm or room temperature. Scones can be made up the day before and refrigerated. Reheat gently in the oven to serve warm for Easter brunch.

Victoria Mattson is owner of Let's Dish!, a "make and take meal kitchen" located at 11605 State Ave. in Marysville. Phone 360-658-9903 or visit www.letsdish.com.