Shit My Father Smokes

Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk (Don’t have buttermilk? Combine regular milk stand with a few drops of white vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes)

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Don’t overdo it!
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Whisk vanilla into buttermilk, then add the combined mixture to the dry ingredients.
• Stir just until combined, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface to knead 5-7 times. Pat into a 7″ round. Cut into quarters, then in half again.
• Place the 8 scones on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Dab each with a bit of milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

And, thanks to Susan and Sarah for their baking contribution! Yummy banana bread using our bumper crop of bananas: