Chocolate Chip Freezer Scones

 

This recipe is from The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet by Laura Fuentes. I bought this book right before the pandemic and ended up shelving it, since I didn’t make a school lunch for months and months after that… I pulled it out again recently and realized that I had bookmarked a lot of good recipes in there! They are not necessarily things for the lunchbox (I wouldn’t pack a smoothie, for example), and this recipe here is more of a breakfast to me, though it could be a snack or dessert in a lunchbox as well. 

Scones are best the day they are made, though these kept well in an airtight container overnight. That being said, baking them straight from the freezer does allow you to only bake enough for one breakfast at a time, so it’s very convenient! 

Everyone in my household really liked these scones

3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour 

½ cup (100 g) + 3 Tbsp. (40 g) sugar, divided 

2 Tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt 

½ cup (88 g) chocolate chips 

2 cups lactose-free cream or half-and-half (or vegan substitute) 

2 Tbsp. lactose-free milk 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then add ½ cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Whisk together. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the cream to the well and mix with a wooden spoon until the batter is evenly moistened (the dough will be a bit sticky). 

Using your hands, make 12 2-inch scones and place them onto the baking sheet; you can rub a little flour onto your hands to prevent sticking. (The dough looked too sticky to me, so I decided to make scones with my 3-oz cookie scoop instead; I got a total of 20 scones.) Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 2 hours, until the dough is frozen, or overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and let the scones thaw for about 5 minutes. If you are baking all the scones at once, you will need a second baking sheet, because they will expand while baking (I had 8 on mine). Save the rest in a freezer bag and bake them another day. 

Brush the scones with the milk and sprinkle with the additional 3 Tbsp. sugar. (I actually did this before freezing the rest of the scones.) 

Bake the scones until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes (mine were smaller and 20 minutes was sufficient). Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.