"Brownies" for Brunch

Chocolate Scones with Orange Zest Drizzle

Makes 6-8

2 1/4 cups flour

3 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

10 tbsp butter (cut into small cubes)

5 oz chocolate chips, semi-sweet preferably

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup

1 tbsp heavy cream

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Whisk together whole egg and 1/2 cup of the cream. Add this to the flour mixture, and fold in with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together; do not overmix. Scone dough should be handled as little as possible.

Turn the dough out onto a very very lightly floured surface and work (again, no more than needed, just enough to bring it all together) into a nice mound and pat into a circle a bit more than half an inch thick. Cut into "pizza" shaped slices. Use a spatula separate and place the scones onto the baking sheet; the less you handle it with your hands, the better. Cover with wrap and refrigerate at least one hour or freeze up to two weeks.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the egg yolk and the tablespoon of cream. Brush the scones generously. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. Scones are best day they are baked.

Drizzle

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2-1 tsp orange zest

Freshly squeezed orange juice from 1/2 to an entire orange

Vanilla extract

Mix all together, adjusting liquid additions (orange juice) to sugar as needed until achieved consistency is reached. Drizzle over somewhat cooled scones.