Aside from… snacks being a requirement in class, going to cooking school and receiving credit towards a master’s degree, drinking wine more often than not during class and with my instructors, talking about everything in the world that relates to food and society, end of semester potlucks, and taking a class in which you taste cheese, honeys, jellies, breads, and perfectly paired wine and then talk about them and the stories behind them for three hours, the best part of my gastronomy program is the people that I am doing it with. Can you imagine, people that love food so much that they are continuing their education within it, all together, at once?

Obviously, food is a large portion of what we talk about. And we all get it. Food lovers are a certain type of person, and I like that type of person, a lot. Something unsaid comes with being a food lover. If you are one, you know what I’m talking about.

So what do we do on weekends? Host gatherings that revolve around food, of course. One of the most recent ones we had was a breakfast for dinner potluck. We had mimosas, biscuits, quiche, french toast casserole with cream cheese, salmon teriyaki, a Spanish tortilla, white sweet potato home fries, fried rice, and Nutella scones.

I thought I misread that, too, when I first saw the recipe. Buttery, flaky, creamy scones, infused with Nutella, chocolate, and hazelnuts and then drizzled with more Nutella? My. oh. my. I actually heard my cookbook say…. “Aaaaaashley, makeeee meeeeeee”. It must have been a daze caused by Nutella overload.  When I did, I was totally satisfied. The Nutella flavor comes through spectacularly, while still maintaining the scone’s true essence. The scone was still in its perfect, biscuit-but-creamier form. Just with the spread of heaven added to it.

It’s always fun to see what we’ll come up with next, and what contributions we’ll make to the world of food. Good thing I surround myself with people who think the same way.

Nutella Scones

Adapted from Baked: Explorations

Makes about 8 scones

Notes: when you’re forming the scones, keep in mind that their flakiness comes from kneading the dough as little as possible. This is hard for me, because I lose myself in touching doughs, but it really is absolutely essential to remember. Be gentle and delicate. It’s okay if you see butter pockets and flour pockets, cause they will just add to the dreamy texture of this delicacy.

The recipe below calls for 1/2 cup of Nutella, but I definitely used a little more when I drizzled, just because I like to be extravagant. It worked out well, and I suggest you do the same.

The process of flattening the scone dough and filling it with Nutella might seem daunting, but it comes together just fine. I also piped my Nutella over the finished scones with a ziploc, by filling it and then snipping off the corner of the bag. It’s less messy and results in a prettier appearance.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (plain unsweetened cocoa is just fine, too, if you can’t find dark)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold (must be cold!) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 large egg

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 – 1 cup Nutella

Set the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment pape or silipat.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub it into the flour until the butter is pea size and the mixture is coarse.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and cream.

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together.  Gently and briefly knead the dough with your hands.
Add the toasted hazelnuts and knead gently to incorporate.

Flatten the dough into a rectangle approximately 6 by 12 inches (approximately – it doesn’t have to be perfect) and spread 1/4 cup of the Nutella on top in a criss-cross pattern.

Roll the dough up to make a cylinder about 6 inches long, turn it on its end, and gently flatten it into a disk about 1 3/4 inches high. Do not overwork the dough.

Cut the dough into 6 or 8 wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool completely.  Place the baking sheet with the parchment still on it underneath the rack.

Heat the remaining 1/4 cup (or more) Nutella in a microwave until pourable, about 10 seconds on high.  Pierce the tops of the scones a few times with a fork. Use a spoon (or two spoons-one to scoop, one to scrape) to drip the warm Nutella in a zigzag pattern over the tops of the hot scones.  Transfer them to a refrigerator to set for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.