Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chip-Orange Scones

The Bon Appétit Cookbook
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Yield: Makes about 12

I had the fellas over last night for rehearsal. I served these tasty scones with coffee. The guys loved the scones (and so did my hubby) so this recipe passed the husband test x four husbands! These can be cut out the night before, refrigerated unbaked on a baking sheet, and then popped into the oven in the morning. They will be ready in just 20 minutes. I made them earlier in the day and then baked them just before the fellas arrived in the evening.

Scones
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced
3 teaspoon (packed) grated orange peel
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup chilled buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze
2 Tablespoons buttermilk,
3 Tablespoons sugar (I used the sparkly kind.)

Butter and flour baking sheet. (I skipped this step and used parchment paper.)
Whisk 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
Add butter and grated orange peel; rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. (I did this part in my food processor and then put this mixture into a large bowl before proceeding.)
Mix in chocolate chips.
Whisk buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla extract in small bowl to blend.
Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; stir with fork until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Press out dough on lightly floured surface to 3/4-inch thickness.
Use a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out scones. Gather scraps, press out dough and cut out additional scones.
Transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Brush scones lightly with buttermilk; sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. (I have special sparkly sugar that doesn’t melt which I used for the topping. It’s pretty and it gives the scones a nice crunchy top. If you don’t have such a thing, don’t worry. Regular sugar will work just fine.)
Bake until scones are crusty on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes (or up to 20 minutes if refrigerated.) Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: The original recipe says you can also add ¾ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts along with the chocolate chips.