Recently I've had the urge to remake my recipe for Double Chocolate Scones. And not just because they're incredibly delicious.
Perhaps some of it is that they're made with a substantial amount of whole wheat flour. It was a happy accident that led to this discovery that a lot of chocolatey flavor hides the healthy bite of whole wheat. On a record-pushing snowy day in March 2013. I wrote:
Today I decided to make Double Chocolate Scones. I got started before I realized I barely had any all-purpose flour left! I wasn't going to let that stop me - and neither was I going to the grocery store with all of the big, fluffy snow St. Louis was getting.
Why didn't it do this in January?
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Such beautiful snow, when spring was supposed to be blooming. Luckily for me, I always have lots of other flour in my kitchen. I decided that chocolate should hold its own against whole wheat flour. Thus, the Double Chocolate Scones recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Annual Recipes 1997 (affiliate link) cookbook became Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Scones.
I wouldn't have them any other way. These scones are fantastic. They're sweet and tender, from gentle treatment of the dough. The chocolate and glaze holds the hearty flavor of whole wheat at bay. Not too rich, they were good both warm and at room temperature. Miniature chocolate chips add texture, and glaze keeps them from seeming dry.
Making Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Scones
This recipe originally was made with all-purpose flour, and it was only out of necessity that I made it with whole wheat flour. It would be ideal made with milder white whole wheat flour, but I've used traditional whole wheat. I recommend using ¼ or ½ cup of all-purpose flour as it hides the taste of traditional whole wheat flour, although they're still pretty tasty made with all whole wheat.
To start, mix together flour(s), cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. You can use white granulated sugar if you'd rather, but brown sugar adds a little more richness.
Next, cut your butter into chunks, then use a pastry cutter (affiliate link) to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it all resembles crumbs. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.
In a measuring cup, whisk together your yogurt, milk, and egg. You can use buttermilk in place of the yogurt and milk, or all yogurt. You can also use 2 teaspoons distilled or cider vinegar plus about 12 tablespoons of milk. However, the resulting dough may be sticky since milk/buttermilk isn't as thick as yogurt.
Use a fork to gently stir the liquid into the flour mixture until it's mostly moistened. Use your hands to fold the dough over itself (like folding a piece of paper in half) 10-12 times; you're kneading the dough in the bowl. This will incorporate the remaining dry ingredients. However, don't be rough with the dough.
If you've used a little too much liquid and the dough sticks in the bowl, go ahead and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it there, folding it in half over itself 10-12 times.
Form the dough into a ball and place it on a very lightly floured surface. Pat it out into a 9-inch circle, then cut it into 10 wedges. Separate the wedges and place them, not touching, on a Silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake them at 375F for 14-18 minutes. A toothpick in the center will come out clean; if it doesn't try another spot in case you hit a chocolate chip. Mine have always been done at 15 minutes.
To serve, mix together a quick glaze of powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Drizzle over the scones. It's a light glaze. If you're an icing person, you may want to double it.
Making Scones in Advance
Not planning to eat these scones immediately? Make them ahead of time!
After you cut the dough, place them on waxed or parchment paper and freeze them. Once frozen, put them in a freezer bag.
The morning you want to eat them, bake them for an extra 2 minutes without thawing them first. (So, 16-20 minutes total instead of 14-18.) Make the glaze, drizzle it on them, and enjoy.
They taste best freshly baked. If you happen to have leftovers, you can wrap them in a couple of layers of aluminum foil, freeze them, and stash them in a freezer bag. Be aware, though, that the thawed glaze will be rather messy.
These scones are not quite as rich and sweet as you might think given that they're double-chocolate; the whole wheat flour grounds them. But they are tender and chocolatey and delicious! I hope you enjoy these scones as much as we do.
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In the past:
One Year Ago: White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread
Two Years Ago: Decadent Hot Chocolate Mix
Four Years Ago: Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones
Five Years Ago: Nut and Seed Bread
Six Years Ago: King Cake
Seven Years Ago: The Cookie-Cake-Pie, Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Cake
Eight Years Ago: Almond-Vanilla Rice Pudding, Hearst Castle Shortbread Cookies
Nine Years Ago: Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream, Blueberry Pancakes, a Valentine's Day Wrap-Up
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Scones are secretly healthy! A delicious and tender, lightly sweet scone with chocolate chips and cocoa powder, which hides the flavor of whole wheat flour!
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30 grams) (this helps temper the flavor of the whole wheat flour)
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour (210 grams) (I've used traditional whole wheat, but white whole wheat is good too)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (27 grams)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (70 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 8 tablespoons butter (113 grams)
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (85 grams/ 3 ounces)
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt (75 grams)
- ½ cup milk (113 grams) (substitute yogurt or buttermilk if you'd like)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup powdered sugar (56 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (5 grams)
- 1 teaspoon milk (5 grams)
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In a measuring cup, stir together yogurt and milk; add egg and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles crumbs; not all crumbs will be the same size. Add mini chocolate chips.
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Add yogurt mixture. Stir gently with a fork until dough is mostly moistened. Using your hands and keeping the dough in the bowl, gently turn and fold the dough over itself (like folding a piece of paper in half) to knead in the remaining dry ingredients. This will take 10-12 times.
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If your dough is too wet and sticky in the bowl to knead, go ahead and turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, folding the dough in half over itself, 10-12 times.
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Form the dough into a ball, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough out into a 9-inch circle. Cut into 10 wedges and place, separated, on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
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Bake at 375F for 14-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in a scone comes out clean. (If it's not clean, try again - you may have hit a chocolate chip.)
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Mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, and teaspoon milk. Spread glaze over warm scones and serve.
This recipe tastes best with a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Use all whole wheat if desired, but we found this made it taste a little wheaty. White whole wheat flour is also a great choice.
Use all buttermilk or yogurt if you'd prefer, or make sour milk (2 teaspoons vinegar plus 12 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of milk). Using all yogurt may make the dough a little less moist.
If your dough is too wet to knead in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface to knead it. I knead by folding the dough in half over itself, then doing it again and again.
This glaze just barely glazes the scones. I like it because it's only lightly sweet. Double it if you love glaze.
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens 1997 Recipes
[Originally published March 24, 2013. Updated recipe, photos, and commentary in February 2019.]
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