Starbucks Chocolate Chip Scone, any idea how to recreate?

[kimeats]

When I lived in the DC/MD/VA area all the Starbucks carried a great chocolate chip scone. It was pretty dense, yet still fluffy on the inside. The chocolate "chips" were actually chunks.
I've tried a few recipes to recreate this but to no avail.
The scone batter itself was not chocolate, so the scone was white/yellow with chocolate chunks.
When I lived in Nevada, the starbucks carried a similar scone but it was round instead of triangular. This one did not taste as good.

[Querencia]

Nestle has chocolate chips that are Chocolate Chunks.

[Anne]

I've not had the scones at Starbucks, but I used to be the baker for a local coffee shop and I often made chocolate chip scones. This recipe is very easy, but very delicious. I've posted it here before, but here it is again:

Cream Scones
Makes 8

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips (or chunks) or dried fruit*
1-1/4 cups heavy (or "whipping") cream---DO NOT SUBSTITUTE!
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Coarse sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a fork. Add chocolate chips/chunks or dried fruit. Stir together the cream and vanilla extract; stir in to the dry ingredients, using the fork. Still using the fork, mix to a rough mass, then turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead BRIEFLY (about 1 min.) until it all holds together. Pat into a 7" circle. Brush the top with cream (there's probably enough left in the cup you used earlier---just scoop it out with your finger and run them over the top of the scone circle!), then sprinkle with the coase sugar. Cut into 8 wedges. Separate wedges and place on a parchment-coated baking sheet. Bake approx. 15-20 mins. until golden brown. Best eaten while still warm!

*Dried fruit can be currants (for a classic scone), raisins (I like to add about 1 tsp. cinnamon to dry ingredients when I make them with raisins), dried cranberries, dried apricots snipped into 1/4" pieces, etc. Nuts or coconut can also be used.

[chef chicklet]

Cherry Pecan Scones – Favours Priceless Recipe
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Large baking sheet with silpat or lined with parchment paper

Ingredients
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 T vanilla
½ tsp sea salt
¼ cup Plus 2 T fine baker’s sugar
½ cup ice cold butter – cut into small cubes – refrigerate until ready to use
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup ice cold whipping cream
½ cup Trader Joe’s Bing cherries – rough cut (not too small)

For the topping
1 egg beaten
1 T whipping cream
Wilton’s Sugar – large crystals

*Cut butter into cubes, then refrigerate until ready to use, I do this with the egg and cream too (my quirk)

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl
Cut the butter into the flour mixture with pastry blender until resembles coarse meal. (You can do this in a processor too with short bursts; pulse a few times, except it warms the dough)
In a smaller bowl whisk the egg, cream and vanilla – add to the dry mixture mixing with a fork, and stir until just combined – do not over mix! Then add the nuts and cherries.
Pour the dough mix onto a lightly floured board and pat into a 7 inch 1 to 1 ½ inch high disk. Cut into in half then quarters and then in eights as evenly as possible.

Place the scones on a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper – this ensures even browning on the bottom

Mix 1 egg with the 1 T of cream and brush the tops with the cream-egg mixture then sprinkle generously with the sugar crystals.

Bake in a gas oven, at 375 degrees on a rack placed in the middle of the oven for 17 minutes and no longer! This will ensure a moister scone than normally expected.

I make these in cinnamon buttermilk, sweet potato, golden raisin, bluberry, raspberry and I've done a few others. Just follow the instructions and you won'tbe disappointed, believe me I know!

[Diana]

Oh YUM.. minus the nuts for allergy reasons..maybe pine nuts instead (which I can eat) YUM!

[chef chicklet]

PIne nuts would work, can you toast them? And that is a great idea for another scone.

[Diana]

yep, pine nuts are toastable, jut watch them. like to toast them in a dry little skillet over medium heat. Don' take your eyes off them and stir or shake the pan now and again. They go from nicely brown to burnt really fast.

[dolores]

Very generous of you, chef chicklet. I bet some chocolate chunks in addition to the cherries and pecans would make for an amazing scone.

The TJ's cherries are dried, correct?

[chef chicklet]

The scone recipe can be remain the same, just swap the dried fruit, and nuts for the chocolate chips, another fresh fruit. roll them in sugar first before adding to the batter..
Enjoy!

[chef chicklet]

Yes you can use any chocolate, or a mix. And yes the dried cherries are TJs they are just delicious. I also cut the pecans, very very fine, for me, that is the way I like the pecans in this particular scone, not chunks.

[punkin712]

Many thanks, chicklet!! I can't wait to try these.

[chef chicklet]

My pleasure, until I took this project on, you know trying for that Starbucks scone, I never knew that dedicated SB peeps were so crazy about their scone with coffees and teas. My brother, and sis-in-law are loyal customers, and they love the recipe. I also never knew that people were a little fussy about the triangle vs. the round scone. I completely understand the idea though, I have my own little list of the way I prefer things.

Also, for those that prefer, add your glaze rather than the large sugar crystals...

[kimeats]

chicklet-
Thanks for the recipe, I made these today in the chocolate chunk variety. They are delicious....however the Starbucks scone is alot more dense. These are almost too airy, i know its a weird thing to find fault with :) Any idea how to make these more dense? The taste otherwise was spot on.

[Diana]

more butter less baking powder would make a denser "shorter" scone.

[kimeats]

thanks diana!

[chef chicklet]

hm. I've never had them come out like you say "airy". But then I'm not sure if Starbucks uses the same scone supplier Nationally either, and where you are they might be denser. I use King Arthur's flour, is there a possibility they might be using a mix of wheat and ap?

The best way I can describe the way they come out when I make them, is that they are similar to a short bread, sort of...

Anyway, hopefully Diana's trick suggesting with the addition of more butter will work. Glad they tasted ok though!

[kimeats]

I also use all King Arthur flour myself. They are more like the Starbucks texture on day two. I left a few on the counter in a ziploc and they hardened up a bit. Thanks!

[SpaceCoyote]

kimeats - Have you tried this Epicurious recipe?

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

It's my go-to for scones. I've made them both round and triangular, and sometimes substitute yogurt for the buttermilk. I usually use standard size bittersweet chips, sometimes a mix of bittersweet and white. I'm sure chunks would work just fine as well. I usually don't bother with the citrus zest, but they are fab with orange. While I'm not familiar with the Starbucks scone, these strike me as on the dense side (I use King Arthur AP flour), although you could perhaps try dialing back on the leaveners to get the texture you're seeking.

[chef chicklet]

Kimeats, 2 years ago, on the request of my best friend I was asked to recreate a raspberry scone she always purchased at Starbucks. I was successful according to her. After testing for about 1 year, and making dozens and dozens of scones, blueberry, raspberry and about 5 others for her I ended up with my all time favorite, Dried Cherry Pecan.
If you want, I'll post the recipe and you should be able to switch the pecans and the cherries out without any problem.
If you want I'd be happy to post my recipe...

[kimeats]

Thank you chef chicklet that would be great! I have tried dozens of recipes already to no avail.

[taylor04]

Oh, please post that, sounds great! I've been trying to duplicate their cinnamon chip scones for ever but can't seem to get it right. Mine are always to "spongy" whereas the Starbuck's variety are almost biscotti-like.

[punkin712]

Another vote for having chicklet post the recipe!!

[Diana]

Find a recipe for creme or cream scones, get a bar of Ghiradhelli and break it into chunks. make the recipe as normal, and throw the chunks in at the end before rolling and forming your scones. bake per recipe. Be careful not to overhandle your scone dough, you may need to chill it a bit before baking.