This recipe for Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Scones is one of my oldest and most loved. I first made the scones for my daughter after she returned home from camp, which explains the colorful sprinkles. She loved them immediately, and they've been a favorite ever since.
Texture and Sweetness Level
Sour cream gives these a slightly moister interior than you'd find in other ultra-buttery scones, so the flakiness is mostly on the crust. Also, the dough is calls for a mixture of both granulated and brown sugar for flavor. It's the perfect partner to chocolate chips, but you can of course make these with other flavors of chips or fruit.
Grating Cold Butter Into Flour
I learned how to make these scones from the cookbook author, Pam Anderson, who uses frozen butter and grates it into the flour mixture. The first time I made the scones I couldn't find my grater and just worked the butter into the flour mixture by hand. I've since found my grater and now grate cold butter for almost any recipe that calls for working cold butter into flour.
Add Liquid Gradually
Even though scones are "simple", they still take some practice plus some baking confidence. That is, you should follow the recipe, but you may need to adjust the amount of liquid to match the flour you're using. One person's 2 cups of flour might be more absorbent than others, even if you weighed it. This particular scone dough shouldn't be too sticky. If it feels too sticky to you, add a little flour. If it feels dry, add more sour cream or a even little milk.
Some Thoughts on Working with Scone Dough
As a new baker I was always so worried about overworking the gluten or my scones (and biscuits) coming out tough. You don't want to overwork scone or biscuit dough, but that doesn't mean you can't handle it a little. I sometimes work biscuit dough like laminated dough by pressing it gently into a rectangle and folding into thirds (like an envelope), then gently doing this again before shaping into a circle. It's not required, but it will help you get that layered look. In this particular recipe I don't usually go for layers but rather lightness and a slight crumble.
Half Batch Scones
One final note. You can make a half batch of these by cutting all ingredients in half (that means 2 T. of egg), using the same technique and shaping into a rectangle before cutting into triangles.
Recipe
Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (260 grams)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 grams)
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (36 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold (114 grams)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sour cream (114 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chocolate chips (85 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture, tossing gently to distribute it evenly, then stir until mixture is coarse and flour is coated with fat. Alternatively, just cut the butter into bits and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to do this.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture gradually until large dough clumps form. Add the chips.
- When dough just starts to come together, turn it onto a clean surface and shape it into a 7 inch circle. If you prefer, you can make 2 rectangles. Slice the circle into 8 triangles or slice each rectangle into 4 triangles. Arrange triangles a few inches apart on a cookie sheet.
- I usually make 8 scones. Note that if you make them larger (6 scones) they will need more time to bake.
- Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes (could take longer in some ovens). Cool for at least 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. This recipe makes 6 to 8 scones.
EmJ says
Made a half batch for brunch today, and they were yummy! Light and fluffy. I did not have sour cream so I substituted low fat plain yogurt and skipped the chocolate chips. I glazed them with a mixture of powdered sugar, real maple syrup, and water.
LisAway says
I made these for breakfast and they were delicious! I didn't have brown sugar so I used all white (and added a couple extra tablespoons because I like them sweet, which maybe means they're not exactly scones...)
Thanks for another great recipe!
Sue says
We just finished enjoying these warm out of the oven. Mmmmmm! We really like the texture of the outside vs. the inside. I'll post some pics on my blog.... eventually. :-)You know me, never too speedy with the blog posts. haha!
Sonya says
I made these last night and used dried cherries and bittersweet chips. They were so, so good! Thank you for a great recipe.
Esther says
Hi Anna, I made these scones last month and they were amazing. Really quick to make and bake and it tasted delish! Thanks for the recipe. I was also able to use up most of my leftover sour cream.
http://x3baking.blogspot.com/2010/09/sour-cream-chocolate-chip-scones.html
Anna says
Hi Meg,
I haven't made any scones lately, but when I do I plan on using this recipe. I think I might try them with blueberries.
Meg says
Have had these on my "to try" list since you posted the recipe. Finally made them this morning. They are fabulous! Definitely the best scones I have made. Have you tried any new variations on this recipe that you can share? BTW, congratulations on the new house!
Anna says
Hi Jennifer, thanks for the second opinion! I loved these scones too. My plan is to keep using this base recipe, but swap out chips (like you did) or maybe try some different flavorings.
Jennifer says
I made these yesterday, but substituted cinnamon chips for the chocolate chips. They were delicious! I added the same sprinkles on top too because everything is better with sprinkles.
Anna says
Tia, the sour cream really made a difference. Obviously, using a light hand also helped, but I think the sour cream played the biggest role in making the centers light.
Cookie Sleuth says
Great weekend breakfast! I hope your daughter enjoyed the welcome home sugar cookies!
Tia @ ButtercreamBarbie says
so cute! were these really tender from the sr cream?
vanillasugar says
i love scones and am very fussy about them. i don't like them too dry and tend to like more add in's in them too. so i might try these if you liked them.
melissa says
Jamie wants to put sprinkles on everything too. Hope Fuzz enjoyed camp! What a big girl!
Thanks for the note, also, Anna! 🙂
It'd be nice to win for the free publicity because my book, Soup Day, comes out the same month! But I know the competition is stiff...!
Katrina says
Sprinkles work for everything here!
Sue says
As much as Fuzz liked camp, I'll bet she's glad to be home with you and Todd, even if you are in the midst of a big move. Homemade scones would certainly have a positive impact on my outlook!
These look yummy and I like the 1/2 batch suggestion!