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Bon Appétit

Ina Garten's Chocolate Pecan Scones

3.8

(87)

Image may contain Food Bread Bun and Dessert
Photo by Quentin Bacon

Okay, I have a thing about scones. When they’re good, they’re light and flaky and full of flavor. Be sure to use really good chocolate that you dice by hand so there are puddles of melted chocolate when you bite into them. And trust me, 4 tsp. of Diamond Crystal kosher salt may sound like a lot but it makes all the difference. Cold bits of butter in the dough ensure flaky scones. When the heat hits the bits of butter, the water in the butter turns to steam and makes the dough rise.

Reprinted from Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks. Copyright © 2018 by Ina Garten. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 14–16

Ingredients

8

oz. coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt (about 1½ cups)

1

cup chopped pecans

3

Tbsp. plus 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting

2

Tbsp. baking powder

4

tsp. kosher salt

2

Tbsp. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1½

cups (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½" pieces

1

cup cold heavy cream

4

extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1

extra-large egg beaten with 2 Tbsp. water or cream (for egg wash)

Special Equipment

A 3"-diameter round cookie cutter

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Arrange racks in top and bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

    Step 2

    Combine chocolate, pecans, and 3 Tbsp. flour in a small bowl.

    Step 3

    Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat baking powder, salt, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 4 cups flour on low speed to combine. Add butter and, with mixer still on low speed, beat until pea-sized pieces of butter remain.

    Step 4

    Pour cream into a glass measuring cup, add eggs, and whisk until combined. With mixer still on low speed, pour cream mixture into butter mixture and beat just until blended. Add chocolate mixture and beat just until combined (the dough will be very sticky).

    Step 5

    Turn out dough onto a well-floured work surface and knead a few times, dusting with flour so dough doesn't stick to surface, until chocolate and pecans are well distributed. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll dough ¾"–1" thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut dough with 3" cutter. Place rounds on prepared pans. Reroll scraps, cut out more rounds, and place on prepared pans. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

    Step 6

    Bake scones, rotating pans top to bottom halfway through, until tops are lightly browned and insides are fully baked, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Reviews (87)

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  • The 4 tsp of salt assumes you’re using Diamond kosher salt. If you use Morton kosher salt you should use 2-1/2 tsp. Would have been nice if the recipe specified that! Was a wasted effort as they are too salty,

    • Anonymous

    • 8/30/2023

  • This recipe is too heavy on fats from butter, pecans, and cream. Eating like this will lead to diabetes and hyperlipidemia( excessive blood fats).

    • Anonymous

    • Ohio

    • 4/22/2023

  • Too Salty!! Shouldn’t followed my instincts that it was a bit too much salt (especially compared to the sugar ratio) when putting it together, but it’s Ina so…..learned my lesson.

    • Nicky

    • Philly

    • 9/23/2022

  • This was a new recipe for me and shame on me for not reading reviews first. The salt taste of these was absolutely disgusting and they are going in the garbage. What a complete waste of all my ingredients and my time. First Ina Garten recipe I've ever made that I felt compelled to leave a review for and not for a good reason. If you make these, put a half a t. of salt in and maybe some vanilla. Gross.

    • Anonymous

    • 9/4/2022

  • All koshers salts are NOT created equal. This recipe works wonderfully as written with Diamond kosher salt but you need to reduce the amount if you’re using Morton’s or a table salt. Diamond has approx. 50% less sodium by volume. I have both in my pantry and I learned the difference the hard way. :) I made this recipe as written with no substitutions and it came out perfectly. Not too sweet, not too salty, warm and light and decadent.

    • Anonymous

    • Orange County, CA

    • 5/26/2022

  • Very delicious, light, flaky, lightly sweet scones. These turned out perfectly. I used Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, 4 tsp as called for, and these are not too salty at all. I did also add a tsp of vanilla because I was nervous based on previous reviews. I don’t know if others are using a different type of salt and/or salted butter as well, which made them too salty? If you’d like or are expecting a sugar bomb, these definitely aren’t for you, but we found them to be delicious.

    • Laura

    • St Paul, MN

    • 1/16/2022

  • Great scones. I didn't put enough chocolate in but they were still good. I like that they are not so sweet.

    • ST

    • Niagara Ontario.

    • 10/25/2021