toasted coconut and chocolate chip scones.

I’m considering starting a business where I bottle the scent of toasted coconut, almonds and chocolate and sell it so that homes across America can smell so outrageously delicious.  Would you buy it?

Maybe you would consider my offer more seriously after you make these scones and they fill your home with their heavenly aroma.

Get ready for the 4th best ingredient in this recipe coming up in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

Here’s the secret to great scones (I mean besides the toasted coconut and almonds, and chocolate chips of course):  BUTTER!

This here’s a hands-on recipe…combining all that beautiful butter into your flour mixture.  It’s a messy job but someone’s got to do it.

Next, toss in your coconut, chocolate chips and almonds and then knead in a little buttermilk and egg.  Yes, again with your hands.  Maybe at this point I gave the dough a try.  Maybe it was really good.  Definitely I washed my hands.  I know you were wondering to yourself.

Finally, roll out the dough and use a small cookie or biscuit cutter (heart-shaped if you’re sappy like me) to cut out your scones.

I’ve decided coconut rules.

Seriously.  Unless you’re allergic to coconut like my poor neighbor Tom, I can’t think of a reason why you won’t absolutely LOVE these.

Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Chip Scones

(Adapted from Joy the Baker’s amazing recipe, makes approx. 15)

What You’ll Need:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup raw or white sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 large egg

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/3 cup shredded coconut (I used sweetened – unsweetened would be fine too)

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

buttermilk and sugar for topping before baking

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place shredded coconut and slivered almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.  Keep your eye on the coconut.  It browns quickly.  Remove from the oven when toasted and allow to cool.  Turn up heat to 400F.  Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Toss the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture.  Using your hands, quickly work in the butter into the flour mixture, breaking it up with your fingers.  You’ll find some of the butter pieces will be larger than others – that’s ok.  Set in the fridge for a few minutes.

Whisk together buttermilk and egg.

Remove the flour and butter mixture from the fridge and add coconut, almonds, and chocolate chips.  Whisk together and create a well in the center of the mixture.  Add the buttermilk mixture all at once to the well.  Use a fork to bring the wet and the dry ingredients together.  Lightly flour a work surface and dump the dough mixture out onto the counter.  Bring together the dough with your hands into a 1 1/2-inch thick disk .  Use a small round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out biscuits.  Flour the biscuit cutter if it starts to stick to the dough.

Place scones, about 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets.  Brush with a bit of buttermilk and a few pinches of raw or granulated sugar.  Bake scones for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and serve warm.

TOTAL:  $4.81 or $.32 per scone.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

243 calories per scone

13 grams of fat

27 carbs

4 grams protein

1 gram fiber

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