As the weather gets cooler and we prepare for the fall, a chai dark chocolate scone is the perfect pairing for a crisp weekend morning with your family. It also happens to be one of Syd’s favorites, and in honor of his birthday, we are sharing the recipe for this cool-weather staple. They’re soft on the inside with crisp edges and a flaky top, and just the right amount of sweetness to celebrate a very special birthday here at Studio McGee.  

Step One

Add the chilled butter to the flour mixture and, using either your hands or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles small peas. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg and heavy cream mixture. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold the wet and dry ingredients together. Once lightly combined (there will still be distinct dry and wet spots), add the dark chocolate. Continue to fold the mixture together until no dry spots remain. 

Step Two

Dust the counter with all-purpose flour. Dump the scone dough onto the counter and begin lightly pressing it into a circle approximately 1-inch thick and 8-inches in diameter. Lightly sprinkle both sides of a knife with flour, then cut the dough into 8 wedges by slicing in half, slicing in half again crosswise, and so forth. 

Step Three

Using a pastry brush, brush the dough all over with the set-aside 2 tablespoons of heavy cream until the tops of each wedge are coated. Sprinkle Maldon sea salt and set-aside chocolate all over the top. Transfer the individual wedges to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, placing them 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes until each scone is golden brown all over. Allow the scones to cool for 20-30 minutes, then serve with plenty of butter.