Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones

2nd batch: crisp exterior, light and airy on the inside

I came across this interesting article written by L.V. Anderson while doing some research on scones a few weeks ago and decided to give the recipe a try; I liked the taste of the scones (not too sweet), but the texture was a little off. Perhaps this was one of those times when environment/weather played a part in the final product, but I found the dough to be entirely too wet (and yes, I actually followed the recipe *mostly* as written) which then led to scones that were more cake-like in texture with a barely there nod to the biscuit-like texture I was expecting. Well, after much thought, I made the scones again this morning with several tweaks to the original recipe... you can decide which you prefer. But trust me, mine are better. ;)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones

1st batch: soft and cake-like

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups AP flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
7 Tbs. cold butter, diced (*use non-dairy butter for vegan)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (*non-dairy for vegan)
1/2 cup fat-free half & half (*use soy or almond milk for vegan... and in case you were wondering, I keep half & half on hand for my dairy tolerant, coffee-loving friends)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. vanilla soy milk (you can always use more half & half, milk, cream... whatever)
1 tsp. sugar

1st batch: incredibly wet dough needed LOTS of bench flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients until well mixed then rub in the cold butter with your fingers (or cut in with a pastry blender, if you have one) until the mix resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in the chocolate chips. Pour in the half & half and vanilla and stir just to combine (I find a fork to be most effective). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed it 4 or 5 times until it comes together. Using your hands, pat out the dough into a rectangle, roughly 8"x 10" and about 1/2" thick (make sure you have easy access to more AP flour, sprinkling it on the dough as needed to prevent sticking). Once the dough is shaped, use a sharp knife (I actually use a pizza cutter) to cut out 12 triangles. Carefully transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave about an inch of space around each scone since they puff up as they bake. Brush the tops of each triangle with your dairy product of choice and sprinkle on a very scant dusting of sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the scones are light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container... that is, if you can resist eating them right away. ;)

Enjoy!

*Cook's note: The traditional British scone is meant to be eaten warm, straight from the oven, the same day it's made. However, I've found that these particular scones hold up very well texture-wise for up to a week when stored in an airtight container which makes them a little more accessible to my mind.