Cafe Borgia Scones

One thing I love are scones.

I have been making different variations of this recipe for years and I love love love it because the end result is the way a scone should be - light, flaky and buttery on the inside and crispy on the outside. The buttermilk gives a slight tang, but if you don't have it onhand then mix a teaspoon of vinegar with milk for the same effect. Make sure you cook these long enough - they should be golden brown and are best eaten while warm, with coffee or tea - or milk. Use your imagination to create the scone of your dreams - lemon with almonds, blueberry with vanilla, or the following recipe, Cafe Borgia, chocolate and orange.
Cafe Borgia Scones:
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Mix together:
2 cups flour
1/4 c sugar
1/2 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
zest of one orange
Cut in, using hands until it resembles cornmeal with small chunks of butter:
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
Stir until you can shape with hands:
2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk
3 squres of semi sweet chocolate, chopped, or 1/2 c chocolate chips
2 T fresh orange juice
Flatten from ball into circle on floured board, about 10 inches across and 1 inch thick.
Cut into six wedges with pizza cutter and transfer to ungreased cookie sheet.
Spread melted butter, about 2 T, covering each scone and dust with raw sugar if you have it - if not, regular works fine.
After they cool on a wire rack, enjoy! Freeze if you don't plan to eat them with the next couple days, as they turn doughy the longer they sit. Make sure you allow them to cool entirely before wrapping.
Get ready for ecstacy...these are the best scones ever. You can substitute a teaspoon of vanilla or almond for the orange juice and the half cup of chips for anything you like - dried cherries, nuts, raisons, blueberries, raspberries...the possibilities are endless...
Bake 20 minutes or until golden