This is a riff on the Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Scones recipe I shared a couple of years ago, with a  couple of adjustments like less butter and the addition of dark chocolate. Win-win! We’re technically on the brink of spring time, although we’ve had such warm weather lately, if you weren’t a CO native, you could almost forget that we’ll still have plenty of cooler weather before we’re begging for mercy in May and into June. So I’m sharing this recipe for those rainy (snowy?) days that are still in our future. I refuse to let weather ruin a day, it’s more fun to embrace it and so I bake when it’s too cold and wet to venture out. More accurately, when I have ventured out into the cold for a hike with friends or errands, it’s so nice to come home and stir together a few ingredients and enjoy the delicious aroma as these scones bake and the oven warms the kitchen. Finally, the gift is to sit down to a cup of tea and freshly baked scone. Welcome, Spring!

Oatmeal & Dark Chocolate Chip Scones

adapted by Stephanie Kunstle from the “Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Scones” recipe in Bread for Breakfast by Beth Hensperger

Note: All you need is a large mixing bowl, and a light hand. Scone dough should be handled gently, so don’t muscle this together. You want light and airy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 and 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup mounded dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup cold buttermilk
• turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in the butter and olive oil until the mixture has the texture of soft crumbs with pea sized or smaller lumps. Add the oatmeal and dark chocolate, and toss to combine.
3. Stir in the buttermilk until dough forms a soft, shaggy ball, adding more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time if you need a bit more moisture.
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean and floured work surface, knead gently about 10 times, or just until dough holds together. Pat out the dough into a rectangle (9 inches wide, 12 inches long) no less than 1 inch thick. Cut with a sharp knife or pastry wheel to form 12 squares (3 cuts across and 4 cuts down).
5. Place the scones 1/2 inch apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Give each scone a  sprinkle of turbinado sugar for a little sparkle and touch of sweetness. Bake on center rack of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until just golden. Remove the pan from the oven and cool to the desired temperature on the baking sheet (for me that means I wait, oh, maybe 2 minutes). Serve hot, warm or room temperature!