Chocolate Cheddar Cheese Scones

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Ever heard of Instagram? It's an iPhone app that allows you to add vintage filters to your photos and share them on a social network. Think Twitter, with hipster pictures and Facebook style commentary. Since I follow a lot of my fellow food bloggers, Instagram helps me stay up to date with the new foodie products in stores. When you see something new in the store you snap a pic, post it on Instagram and let the "ooohs and ahhhs and where did you find that?!" commence. Case in point, Trader Joe's Chocolate Cheddar Cheese.

After seeing this cheese on Instagram, I made a beeline to the cheese section at Trader Joe's last weekend. I stood there for a few minutes, staring at the cheese, thinking, "oh no, they don't have it." But then, another shopper who had also been looking for it found it and snatched up a block. Luckily, there were a few left. My friends thought I was crazy and said, "eww that doesn't sound good at all," but I had high hopes for this cheese.

Much to my despair, after tasting a slice of this cheese, I didn't love it. It's pretty pungent. That's when I knew I'd have to incorporate it into a recipe. I played with the idea of a chocolate cheddar cheese muffin, or chocolate cheddar cheese biscuits until I settled on chocolate cheddar cheese scones. They're savory, yet sweet and a great combination for those with a refined palate. It would pair nicely with a cup of dark hot chocolate or espresso.

Chocolate Cheddar Cheese Scones
adapted from Joy of Baking

2/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Dagoba)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded Trader Joe's Chocolate Cheddar cheese (or mild white cheddar)
turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk milk, vanilla and egg. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using two forks or a pastry blender, until it resembles a course crumb.  Add the cheddar cheese and the chocolate chips. Add the wet ingredients and mix it until it just comes together.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and the knead the dough a few times (kneading too much will make the dough tough). Shape the dough into a round and slice it into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with extra shredded cheese and turbinado sugar.

Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.