May 9, 2012

Mini Chocolate-Chip Cherry Scones

Who saw the Avengers? Come on, raise your hands. It was awesome, right? Good, now you can join the ranks of loyal Whedonites. Here's your number, and your welcome packet is the the mail.

... What do you mean, what's a Whedonite? Joss Whedon? Wrote and directed the movie? Formerly a cult icon until he broke all sorts of records with the Avengers opening weekend? Rightful King of the Nerds? That Joss Whedon?

... What do you mean, never heard of him?

*Sigh* I guess it's too much to expect you to convert after one movie. As awesome as that movie may be, and as many records as it broke. Me, I've been a Whedonite since age 10. That was when I first saw Buffy, and I never looked back. I met the bestie because of Joss Whedon. I started writing because of Joss Whedon. I'm a nerd because of Joss Whedon.﻿﻿﻿﻿

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﻿﻿﻿﻿Tell you what, go watch Cabin in the Woods, or Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, or if you have a few hours to kill, Firefly, and I'll give you scones. Then we can discuss your conversion, 'mmkay? Because it will happen. Despite the fact that your favorite character probably dies. Because, well...
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Wait! Stop running! See, scones! Nice, non-homicidal scones. With chocolate chips and cherries and everything.
﻿These scones are my favorite to make, not just because they're yummy- they are- but they're super easy to make. So easy, in fact, that I took making-of photos to show you just how easy and not homicidal they are.

So our cast of characters here is fairly simple: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in the mixing bowl, chilled butter, dried cherries or cherry flavored cranberries, yogurt, and mini chocolate chips. The recipe actually calls for cherry flavored yogurt, but since I'm more likely to have a thing of vanilla than a thing of cherry, I've used both. Obviously, if you want more cherry flavor, go with the cherry. I've also- totally and completely on-purpose- made these without adding the sugar, and they turned out fine, just less sweet. So if you want a lower calorie snack, you can always go that route.
First thing you want to do is cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You want to use a pastry blender for this or you can rub the butter into the flour using just your fingertips. But trust me, a pastry blender is one of those really cheap kitchen utensils that you may not use often, but should keep on hand anyway. There's really no substitution.
Once the butter's mixed in, add the yogurt, chocolate chips, and dried cherries. The original recipe doesn't actually specify to use mini chips, but I do just because the chips distribute more evenly that way. The more bites that have chocolate in them, the better.
Mix it all together. The dough is going to look rather dry and crumbly, but that's okay. Press into a ball and knead on a lightly floured surface about 10 times.
Divide the dough in half and form into 6 inch round. Using a sharp knife, cut each round into 6 wedges, but don't separate the wedges.
Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. If you use the cherry yogurt, they'll be a little darker in color. Let cool about 10 minutes, and serve warm. Eat while singing along to Once More, With Feeling.﻿
No, there's no coffee in that mug. I'm not a coffee drinker, remember?
﻿ Mini Chocolate Chip-Cherry Scones {Printable Version}
Yield: 12 scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup firm butter or margarine
1 (6 oz.) container cherry or vanilla flavored yogurt
1/2 cup dried cherries or cherry-flavored cranberries
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry blender, or rubbing it in using just your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in yogurt, cherries and chocolate chips (dough will seem dry and crumbly).

On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball. Knead dough lightly 10 times. Divide dough in half, On cookie sheet, pat each half of dough into 6-inch circles. Cut each circle into 6 wedges, using a shap knife, but do not separate wedges.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie shee to wire rack. Carefully separate wedges. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook for Women
Photoshopped Jake says: Accept Joss Whedon as your dear and fluffy lord and master. I'll be watching﻿.