"Skinny" Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Yet another Pinterest find!  I love finding exciting and delectable recipes for things, and it's an added bonus when they're healthy or "skinnified" (made with substitutions to lower the calories).  I had been wanting to try these scones for the longest time, and I finally made them the morning after my last exam of my first year of med school, right before my parents came to pick me up.  I dropped off half of them to my sister (who shares my love of Pinterest and recipe hunting) and the rest were for my mom, but we all ended up devouring them.  I made another batch last Friday and made sure to take pictures this time!

Warm chocolate chip scones fresh out of the oven

The original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cold buttermilk *
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp chilled butter, diced
3/4 cup chocolate chips
cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

*if you don't want to buy a full quart of buttermilk just for one batch of scones, you can make a buttermilk substitute using milk and either vinegar or lemon juice.  Just put a tablespoon of either white vinegar or lemon juice in a cup measure, and fill up the rest of the measuring cup with the milk of your choice.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then measure out what you need.  The lemon and vinegar adds acidity and curdles the milk slightly, which is what buttermilk is!  I made my first batch slightly healthier by using skim milk and lemon juice, but I used buttermilk when I made them at home.  I didn't notice any difference in the taste or texture, so it obviously worked! :)

Wet and dry ingredients, about to be mixed!

Preheat your oven to 375 F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine the wet ingredients (the first four ingredients) in a bowl and whisk it together to dissolve the sugar.  Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.  Cut the chilled butter into the flour mixture, using a pastry cutter or a fork, until you have pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.  Mix in the chocolate chips, then add the wet ingredients and mix just until everything is combined.

Flour your surface and your hands, and knead the dough four times.  Then place the dough on the baking sheet and form a circle 9 inches in diameter.  Cut the dough into 12 wedges.

Lightly beat the egg white and brush it over the dough.  Sprinkle the top with sugar.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, watching for the tops to turn golden brown.

While they're still hot, separate the scones from each other and place them on a cooling rack.  Enjoy the chocolatey goodness!!