Chocolate-Stuffed Peanut Butter Scones

Chocolate-Stuffed Peanut Butter Scones Recipe:

Chocolate-Stuffed Peanut Butter Scones

      2 c Flour
    1/2 c Sugar, brown, light
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 extract
    1/2 c Peanuts, unsalted; chopped
1 1/2 oz Chocolate, bittersweet; broken

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 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,
milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add 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-inch to 3-inch
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 rounds.
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 to 19 minutes, or until
lightly browned.

Remove the
baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 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.

Makes 8 scones

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

Source: Simply Scones
Leslie Weiner and Barbara Albright