These chocolate chip scones are the ideal breakfast treat: They’re flaky, moist and not too sweet. Think of them as a marriage of cream scones and chocolate chip cookies, complete with the tender texture you love in scones and the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate that comes with a great cookie.

Serve them warm from the oven, with chips softened to chocolatey puddles, or at room temperature, garnished with a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche. They’re a great grab-and-go breakfast for any day of the week, but impressive enough to serve at brunches and parties. Here’s how to make them.

The secret to tender, flaky scones

The best scones have a tender and flaky texture, and are never dry. This is a result of keeping the butter cold. When the cold, buttery dough hits the hot oven, the butter melts and the moisture within turns to steam, creating light and flaky layers.

To keep the butter cold, you’ll need to work quickly when adding it to the dry ingredients. Remember: The butter doesn’t have to break down evenly. (In fact, irregular pea-sized crumbs are ideal.) Working quickly will also prevent you from overworking the dough, which can result in tough, dense scones.

If your dough gets too warm at any point, pop it in the fridge, and be sure to chill it before baking. This 15-minute rest relaxes the gluten and gives the flour time to absorb moisture from the cream and egg, while giving the butter a chance to chill again.

The best chocolate for scones

Thanks to the combination of granulated and brown sugar in the dough, these scones have all the classic Tollhouse vibes. To continue with the cookie theme, I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips here — but you can swap them for bittersweet for a more sophisticated flavor profile.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Serves 8

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