A delicious vanilla scone studded with pieces of that orange-flavored chocolate that shows up in your Christmas stocking.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the cold, diced butter and toss it with the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or two knives criss-crossed (or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until only some pea-sized lumps remain.
Stir in the chopped chocolate orange.
Add milk, a lightly beaten egg, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Use a fork (not a spoon) to stir the dough, lightly pushing the flour and liquid together. You want to be gentle here.
Once a dough has formed and you only have some crumbs left in the bottom of the bowl, use your hands to gently knead the dough. I do this right in the bowl, although you can use a lightly floured surface instead. Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the dough, then fold the dough in half on top of itself. Pat the dough down gently if you need to. Repeat this process 6 times. You shouldn't have any crumbs left.
Lift the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Your dough will likely be pretty wet. Pat it into a 1-inch tall circle, about 7-8 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with a little sugar if desired. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the circle into 8 scones.
Place the scones apart on a silicone mat- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 18-22 minutes. The scones will be golden along the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one will come out clean as long as it doesn't hit chocolate.
Serve warm or at room temperature. They're best the day that they're baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container, and reheat briefly when serving
After cutting the scones, place them, separated, on a lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid.
Remove scones from the sheet and store in a freezer bag for up to about a month.
To serve, bake at 375F for 20-24 minutes, directly from the freezer, without thawing.
Scone dough should be handled gently. Do not overmix or overknead.
You want your butter cold to give the scones the best rise and texture possible. If your dough is too warm, you can optionally chill your scones for 15 minutes before baking.
You can use milk or dark chocolate in this recipe.
If you need to make this without an egg, simply omit it and add an extra 1-4 tablespoons of milk or cream to the dough.
Scones are the best the day they are made. I recommend only baking what you need, and freezing the rest of the dough as in the Make Ahead section.