These might be my favorite scones I’ve made recently, and I’ve made *a lot* of scones. They’re citrusy, sweet, chocolate-y, and delicious. Basically, they’re everything you need in a winter scone.

I’m a big fan of blood oranges. However, I only have a certain window when I can find good ones at the grocery store in the Midwest, and that window is usually now. Last week, I picked up a couple in preparation to make these scones.

My favorite thing about blood oranges is the color inside. They live up to their name (although I guess you don’t want to think about the inside of the orange being bloody), as their insides are usually a deep red color. When you cut into them to squeeze the juice out like I did for this recipe, your kitchen counter will probably look like a crime scene.

Before I turn you off blood oranges forever, just know that the mess (and slight trauma) will be worth the finished product. Whisking blood orange juice with powdered sugar makes a delightful pink glaze that you can put on top of any scones. The juice is good natural food coloring, especially for baked goods around Valentine’s Day.

If you’re an avid baker, you might notice a weird ingredient in these scones: An egg. Most scones just rely on milk to hold them together, but I’ve added a beaten egg into the mix. It’s a great binder and prevents the scone from spreading out too much as it bakes in the oven (as often happens, especially if you bake scones without freezing them first). It’s also a great time saver because I think few of us like to wait 15 or 30 minutes for scones to chill before baking them.

Another note: The scones and the icing are kind of improvisational. I’ve included a recipe below, but you might find that you need a little more milk to get the dough to come together, or a little more powdered sugar to get the icing the consistency you want it. Either way, don’t panic: You’re shooting for a scone dough that is just combined, but not dry and flour-y, or overly wet and sticky. With the glaze, if you like thicker glaze, add more sugar like I did. If you like glaze that’s less noticeable, add less sugar or more orange juice.

Here’s a song to get you started on your blood orange dark chocolate chip scone journey.

Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients

for the scones:
180 g plain flour
120 g spelt flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
25 g light brown sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
75 g cold butter, cubed
2 blood oranges, zest finely grated
3 oz dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (I used 85% dark chocolate)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
100 ml whole milk, plus more for brushing the tops of the scones

for the glaze:
125 g powdered sugar
2 Tbsp blood orange juice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut it into the dry ingredients until the butter forms pieces the size of small peas. Mix in the orange zest and dark chocolate, Mix in the egg and milk, using a wooden spoon or your hands to get the dough to come together. Turn the ball of dough out onto the counter, pat it into a circle that’s about one inch thick, and then cut it into eight pieces. Place the pieces on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with some milk.

Bake the scones for about 12-15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top and spring back to the touch. Let them cool a bit before placing them on a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. In the meantime, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and blood orange juice in a shallow bowl. When the scones are done cooling slightly, invert them and dip the tops into glaze and place them back on the wire rack to set. Enjoy!