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Chocolate Orange Scones

Chocolate Orange Scones
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These marbled chocolate orange scones with a sweet orange glaze make the perfect sweet treat with your morning coffee!

If you’re looking for a fantastic scone recipe to have as a treat with your morning coffee, look no further. These marbled chocolate orange scones with a sweet orange glaze are amazing.

chocolate orange scones

They’re easy to make, although they do take just a little longer to mix up than your typical scone recipe, as there are two doughs to make rather than just one. But the doughs are quite similar so they do mix up quickly.

Sweet orange dough and rich chocolate dough are marbled together in this tender scone for the perfect combination. Drizzled with a sweet orange glaze, they are absolutely delicious and the best way to enjoy your morning coffee!

marble chocolate oranges scones

Should you chill scones before baking?

The key to good scones is using very cold ingredients. You want your milk and butter to be very cold when you’re making the dough, and the butter should be cold when the scones go into the oven.

Since the butter warms up as you are working with the dough and shaping the scones, you should always chill the dough before baking it. I like to freeze my scones for 20-30 minutes while the oven warms up before baking them.

This freeze time allows the butter to firm up again and then when it melts in the oven you end up with flaky, airy pockets in the scone. Chilled dough gives you better scones, so don’t skip this step!

easy chocolate orange scones

What makes scones moist?

A good scone should not be super dry and crumbly and impossible to eat without multiple cups of coffee! Using an egg, lots of butter, and either milk, buttermilk, or cream in the scone dough helps to keep it moist and tender.

You also want to avoid over working the dough. If you work the dough too much, gluten will start to develop, and the scones will be tough.

chocolate orange scones

For tender, melt in your mouth scones, work the dough as little as possible.

Stir until the dry ingredients are moistened, and then lightly knead the dough in the bowl just until it comes together into a ball. It’s okay if there are a few dry bits still, it will all come together in the oven!

chocolate orange scones

How do you make marbled chocolate orange scones?

These chocolate orange scones use two types of dough for a marbled effect. To make these, mix together the two types of dough separately and break each one into about 8 pieces.

Then pile all the pieces of dough on a baking sheet, alternating between the two types. Press them all together, kneading once or twice to bring it all together, and then press the marbled dough out into a thick circle.

orange chocolate scones

How to make Chocolate Orange Scones:

  • You can cut in the butter with a pastry blender, but I prefer to grate the butter first and freeze it so that it stays as cold as possible when making the dough. Then you can simply stir it into the dry ingredients.
  • Don’t skip the chilling step for the dough before baking. Scones bake much nicer when the dough has been chilled first.
  • Buttermilk also works well in this dough if you happen to have some on hand instead of 2% milk.

Here are some more great scone recipes for you:

chocolate orange scones
Yield: 8 scones

Chocolate Orange Scones

chocolate orange scones

These marbled chocolate orange scones with a sweet orange glaze make the perfect sweet treat with your morning coffee!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes

Ingredients

For the orange dough:

  • 6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
  • 2.5 tablespoons orange juice (1-2 oranges if using fresh squeezed juice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 medium orange)
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the chocolate dough:

  • 6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tablespoons milk (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch processed)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a non-stick silicone mat and set aside.
  2. Grate the butter (for both doughs) and place it in the freezer so it is very cold when you add it to the scones.

Make the orange dough:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, orange juice, and orange extract until well combined. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. 
  3. Add the frozen, grated butter, and toss until the butter is coated in the flour mixture.
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until it just starts to come together. Knead the dough lightly in the bowl to bring everything together into a ball, but try not to over-work the dough. 
  6. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and break it into about 8 pieces.  

Make the chocolate dough:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. 
  3. Add the frozen, grated butter, and toss until the butter is coated in the flour mixture.
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until it just starts to come together. Knead the dough lightly in the bowl to bring everything together into a ball, but try not to over-work the dough. 
  6. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and break it into about 8 pieces.

Shape the scones:

  1. Combine all the pieces of dough, alternating the two types and lightly kneading a couple of times to bring it all together into one ball of dough. Press the dough out into an 8-10 inch circle.
  2. Place the dough in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  3. Take the dough from the freezer and cut the circle into 8 wedges with a sharp knife.  
  4. Spread the pieces out a bit if you like. If you prefer the edges of your scones to stay soft, you can leave them together. Spreading them out gives you crisper edges.
  5. Bake the scones for 17-18 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  
  6. Move them to a wire rack to cool.  
  7. Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice. 
  8. Drizzle the cooled scones with the glaze. 
  9. Allow the glaze to set.
  10. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 scone
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 556Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 473mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 3gSugar: 38gProtein: 8g

Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.

© Bake.Eat.Repeat.
Category: Muffins & Scones

Posted on  - Last updated:

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