Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones

Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones Recipe:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones

      2 c Flour
    1/2 c Sugar, brown
2 1/2 t Baking powder
    1/4 t Salt
    1/4 c Butter, sweet; chilled
    3/4 c Peanut butter, creamy
    1/4 c Milk
      2    Eggs
      2 t Vanilla
    1/2 c Peanuts, unsalted; chopped
1 1/2 oz Chocolate, bittersweet

Break chocolate into 8 equal pieces.
Preheat oven to 375F.   

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar,
baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch
cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With
a pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion,
cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse
crumbs.

In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter
mixture to the flour mixture and knead until
combined. Knead in the peanuts.    Pat the dough out
into a 1/2-inch thickness on a cutting board. Using a
floured 2-1/2 in. to 3-in. diameter crinkled round
biscuit cutter, cut out rounds from the dough. Gather
the scraps together and repeat until all the dough is
used and there are 16 round. Place 8 of the rounds on
an ungreased baking sheet. Top each round with a piece
of the chocolate and one of the remaining circles of
dough. Press the edges gently to seal. Bake for 17-19
minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the baking
sheet to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes. Using a
spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool.

Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight
container.

Variation: Make the
dough as above, omitting bittersweet chocolate,
substituting 1/2 c. unsalted peanuts for the chopped
peanuts and kneading in 3/4 c. semisweet chocolate
chips at the same time. Put the dough into a 9-inch
diameter circle on a baking sheet. With a serrated
knife, cut into 8 wedges. Bake 20-22 minutes, or
until a cake tested or toothpick inserted into the
center of a scone comes out clean. Cool as above and
recut into wedges, if necessary.

Makes 8 servings