Red Velvet Scones

As I was making these, I told my mom that every time I make a new scone recipe, I always say it's my best ever. I'll have to say it again on this recipe. These were my best scones yet!

You could smell the cocoa in these as they were baking, and I could hardly wait to pull them out of the oven. I didn't even wait for my tea to finish steeping before I ate my first one. These scones were so good. As a combination of scone and red velvet cake, this was a huge success.

There was also a recipe for Creamy Mascarpone Hearts, which was easy to mix up, having only five ingredients: cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, butter, vanilla and a little powdered sugar. Actually taking the time to spread and harden the mixture, then cut it into hearts was a bit more trouble than it was worth, but both my mom and sister declared them very good, and a nice substitute for clotted cream.

The scones were palatable the next morning, which was a bit surprising. Their deep red color was made even prettier when cut into heart shapes. This is an excellent recipe for a Valentine's Day tea. Easy, cute, and delicious...I'd give these scones an A+.

Recipes from Tea Time Magazine January/February 2011 issue

Red Velvet Scones
Yield: approximately 1 dozen scones
Preparation: 10 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Cool: 5 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 recipe Creamy Mascarpone Hearts

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, food coloring, and vanilla. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until a dough forms.
5. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 8 to 10 turns. Roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut as many scones as possible, rerolling scraps no more than once. Place scones on prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, approximately 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely, or serve warm with Creamy Mascarpone Hearts.

Creamy Mascarpone Hearts

Yield: approximately 2 dozen butter pats

Preparation: 10 minutes

Refrigerate: 2 hours

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened

1 (3-once) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, combine cheeses and butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
2. Spread mixture onto a parchment-lined 13-x-9-inch baking pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. Using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out mixture. Store heart shapes covered between layers of parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.