Have you been searching for something easy, yet delicious to learn how to bake and share with others?  If so, this is for you.  I have always wanted to learn how to make scones and I must say, I have outdone myself with the help of a super baker friend, Lourdes.  She shared this wonderful recipe and also taught me some tips and tricks that I want to pass along to you so your baking is a simple success!

Ingredients:

3 1/2 Cups Flour

2/3 cup white sugar

4 ½ tsp Baking Powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

4 large oranges

2T orange zest (no white, just the peel or you will have bitter scones)

5 oz. no salt butter (chilled; keep in fridge until ready to add)

1 cup orange juice (squeeze from the oranges you just zested)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2-3/4 cup Raw Pistachio Kernel Pieces from Nature’s Gold Pistachios

(if you prefer to toast them, do so first).  Always taste the pistachios before baking if you have had them for a while.

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  We used a kitchen aide mixer for easy mixing.

Add flour, sugar, baking powder, zest, and salt to large mixing bowl and blend/stir on low until everything is mixed together.  Turn mixer off.

Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to the mixing bowl, blend on low until the mixed.

Mix the vanilla into the cup of orange juice and slowly add it to the mix as the blender is mixing to form the dough.

Add chocolate chips and pistachios- mix until blended.

Roll out dough onto a lightly floured board.  Gently pat the dough in a round form.  Do not handle the dough too much.  Cut the dough into sections as pictured and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake 12 minutes or until the bottom is slightly brown as in the photo below.  You may want to set your timer for 10 minutes and go from there.  Yields 16 scones.

Move to a wire rack to cool & enjoy!!!

You can also flash freeze the scones once cut and store them in the freezer until you are ready to bake them.  Extra zest can also be stored in the freezer.