Cakes & Bakes: Hazelnut & chocolate chip scones

Hazelnut & chocolate chip scones with Nutella

Which do you prefer, sweet or savoury scones? My favourite has to be a classic Devon (or is it Cornish?) cream tea scone with butter, jam and clotted cream. I wanted to try another sweet version that was a little bit different, so came up with hazelnut & chocolate chip scones.

Scone dough with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips Scone dough being cut into round shapes

As they contain lots of filling chocolate and nuts, I used a smaller cutter than normal to make the scones. The recipe quantities made 18 of this size. Needless to say, if you use a larger cutter, you’ll probably get about a dozen instead.

Uncooked scones on lined baking sheet

Sweet scones are usually split in half and spread with butter, jam and cream. These really suit being smeared with Nutella.

Cooked scones on a wire cooling rack

Click here or on the image below to save my hazelnut & chocolate chip scones recipe to Pinterest

Hazelnut & chocolate chip scones recipe | H is for Home

Hazelnut & chocolate chip scones with Nutella

Hazelnut & chocolate chip scones

Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine British
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 375 g self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • pinch of salt
  • 20 g cold butter cubed
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 300 ml buttermilk
  • 50 g hazelnuts roughly chopped
  • 50 g milk chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 225ºC/440ºF/gas mark 7
  • Grease & line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Into a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar and salt
  • Rub in the cubes of butter
  • Stir in the sugar
  • Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk
  • Bring the mixture together until it forms a ragged ball of dough. Don't over mix
  • Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips
  • Turn the mixture out on to a well-floured work surface and flatten the dough to about 5cm high
  • Use a circular cutter to form the scones. Bring together the remaining bits of dough to form a solid ball. Gently flatten again so that you can cut out more circles
  • Put the scones on the prepared baking sheet and brush the top of each with a little milk or egg-wash
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are a lovely golden brown
  • Allow to cool completely on a wire rack
Halve & spread with Nutella to serve
Keyword chocolate, hazelnut, scones

Cakes & Bakes: Almond & lemon scones

Almond & lemon scone with butter, jam and mug of tea

In the past, we’ve published a round up of our best scone recipes – and these almond & lemon scones need to be added to the top of that list.

Mixing bowl with flour, butter & sugar with zested lemon and grater

The recipe produces scones that are delicious, light and airy. Perfect as part of an afternoon tea.

Cutting out scones from pastry

Also, I think I’ve nailed the method for achieving scones with maximum lift. Make sure you’re using self-raising flour that hasn’t been hanging around for ages, getting a little stale. Chance would be a fine thing, in these Covid times! In addition, don’t overwork the pastry; it needs to just about hold together.

And another thing, don’t press the dough down too firmly or thinly before you begin cutting the circles; you want it to be about 5cm tall. When pressing the (floured) cutter down into the pastry, don’t twist it side to side; you want a clean, even cut.

Brushing the tops of scones with milk

Follow all these steps and you’ll have tall, well-risen scones!

Almond & lemon scones cooling on a wire rack

Our serving suggestion: butter, clotted cream and a fruit preserve such as a blueberry conserve or mixed berry jelly. Of course, lemon curd would be absolutely perfect too!

Click here or on the image below to save this almond & lemon scones recipe to Pinterest

Almond & lemon scones recipe

Almond & lemon scone with butter, jam and mug of tea

Almond & lemon scones

Waitrose Food
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Tea
Cuisine British
Servings 6 scones

Ingredients
  

  • 30 g/1oz golden caster sugar
  • grated zest of a lemon
  • 310 g/11oz self-raising flour plus extra for dusting
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • 40 g/1½oz ground almonds
  • 100 g/3½oz unsalted butter diced
  • 120-130 ml/4-4½ fl oz whole milk plus 2 tbsp to glaze

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas mark 7
  • Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl
  • Stir in the salt, almonds, 15g/½oz of the sugar and lemon zest
  • Rub in the diced butter until the mixture resembles soft sand
  • Use a blunt knife to quickly mix in 120ml/4 fl oz milk, bringing it all together with cool hands once a shaggy dough forms. (Add the extra 10ml/½ fl oz milk, if needed, to form a dough that's soft but not sticky)
  • Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until uniform. Bring together into a disc and roll out to about 4cm/1½" thick
  • Flour a 6-7cm/2½" cookie cutter and stamp out 6 rounds, gently reshaping and re-rolling the dough as needed
  • Brush the scones with milk, scatter with the remaining 15g/½oz caster sugar and swiftly transfer to the hot baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and risen
  • Cool on a wire rack
Almond & lemon scones ingredients
Serve with butter, clotted cream and fruit jam or jelly
Keyword almond, lemon, scones

A round-up of our top 5 sweet and savoury scones recipes

Our top 5 sweet and savoury scones recipes | H is for Home

A quintessentially British afternoon snack, scones are quick & easy to make. They can be sweet or savoury, eaten plain or sliced & spread and are the perfect size to pack for a picnic or other al fresco meal. We’ve brought together a round-up of our top 5 sweet and savoury scones recipes.

1. Buttermilk scones

Home-made buttermilk scones | H is for Home
Possibly the quickest and easiest scones on the planet to make. Flour, buttermilk, pinch of salt… bish, bash, bosh… mix, shape, cut out, in the oven… done! They can be served with either sweet or savoury fillings – whatever you prefer!

2. Red Leicester scones

Home-made red Leicester scones | H is for Home
This is a recipe I borrowed from Nadiya Hussain, winner of Great British Bake Off a few of years ago. Cheese scones are usually made with cheddar however, red Leicester gives these a beautiful amber glow!

3. Afternoon scones

Home-made afternoon tea scones | H is for Home
These dinky-sized scones are perfect for popping into your mouth. Slice horizontally and spread with butter, fruit jam and clotted cream… in your preferred order!

4. Sourdough cheese scones

Home-made sourdough cheese scones | H is for Home
This is one of the best scones recipes if you like to make use of your sourdough discard rather than throw it away. I used an extra mature cheddar, but you could try it with any other hard cheese such as Parmesan, Emmental or Manchego.

5. Cheese & chive scones

Home-made cheese & chive scones | H is for Home
A classic cheese combination in scone form. Fill with a soft cream cheese and a slice of tomato and/or cucumber… or more cheese!