Cinnamon Chip Scones

One day in March I looked up at my calendar and made a shocking discovery. You know how sometimes you get busy and forget to flip the page so your calendar is a little behind? Well, that is what had happened but to the extreme.

My calendar was turned to July.

As in July of 2013, almost 8 months before the day that I stood in disbelief staring at the wall. 

I should have thrown it away three whole months before I even noticed it said July. And that situation perfectly describes the last 10 months of my life.

In August I began my first year of teaching at a small Christian school. I love teaching English and Drama, but I am certainly looking forward to the fact that I never have to have a first year teaching experience again. I'm sure that next year and the years to come will certainly have their challenges, but at least there won't be quite the learning curve for me. There have been tears on at least three different occasions (and I am not a crier). There has also been plenty of laughter, frustration, anxiety, success, failure, and heartache (the good and bad kinds).

One thing that has really been hard for me this last year is having to completely devote my time to school, which leaves very little time for anything else. Being a teacher means being a master time manager.  There have been many things pushed to the way, way back burner for days and months. However, now that summer is here, I am planning on devoting some time to other things I love again! Like painting. And crafting.

And spending time in my kitchen.

It's funny how when you stop doing something you often fall out of practice doing it. I made scones a couple of weekend ago when my parents were visiting and I burned them. I burned them! There are few things that I hate more than over-baking something and yet I have been acting like an amateur in the kitchen the last few times I stepped foot in there. The love is still there, but I think I might have to take things slowly at first.

So without further ado, I have for you today my new favorite scone recipe (yes, the recipe for the ones I burned. Do as I say and not as I do! The ones in the pictures are not the burned ones though). They seem a little nontraditional to me since they have eggs and powdered milk, but it is sure worth it. This is the basic recipe I use and depending on how I feel at the moment and what I have on hand determines what actually goes in them.

Cinnamon Chip Scones
Makes 6 to 8

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup cinnamon chips
4 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk, plus 1 Tablespoon
Course sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, dry milk, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Whisk to make sure everything is evenly distributed.

2. Use a pastry cutter or two butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Stop when the butter is the size of small peas. Gently stir in the cinnamon chips.

3. In a liquid measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the egg, milk, and the vanilla. Whisk to combine and add all at once to the dry mixture. Gently stir the mixture just until everything starts to come together. Use your hands to fold the dough over a few times in the bowl to help everything come together.

4. Drop the slightly crumbly dough onto a ungreased cookie sheet. Shape the dough into a disk that is about 1/2 inch thick. Work quickly so your hands don't melt the butter. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the wheel into 6 or 8 wedges (like you were cutting a pizza). Carefully pull each wedge back so that there is about 1/2 inch between them.

5. At this point, you can freeze the scones and save them for baking at a different time. Freeze them on the cookie sheet for 30 minutes, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil and place in a freezer bag. Bake as directed below, but they might take a few extra minutes. However, if you only want to wait 15 minutes or more to bake them, then place them in the freezer until you are ready to bake. (I do this sometimes if the rest of my breakfast isn't ready and I want the scones hot from the oven when everyone is ready to eat.)

6. When you are ready to bake the scones, brush the top of the scones with milk and sprinkle with course sugar. Place the scones on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 7 minutes. Then turn the oven off and leave the scones in the closed oven for another 7-8 minutes. They should be golden brown when they are finished.

7. Serve immediately as they are best when just pulled out of the oven. Enjoy!

Adapted from King Arthur Flour.