Weekending in the Kitchen

This post has been sponsored by Marmara Imports. All thoughts, opinions, and photos are my own. 

I've always been a morning person.  Growing up, I woke up before the sun to play golf with my dad, and I was that kid at sleepovers who was awake hours before everyone else.  Now, I love having a little time to myself before my husband wakes up every Saturday and Sunday morning to watch the Food Network and make breakfast.  A couple weeks ago, it was these delicious chocolate chip scones.  They are one of my favorite things to make, and this base is perfect for any fruit or delicious add-in you want (blueberries, raspberries, even cinnamon or butterscotch chips).  Though I have to admit, scones are one of the messiest things I bake.  I always make them first thing in the morning so that I have time to clean up all the flour that ends up in every corner of the kitchen before Mike wakes up - haha!  To help keep my weekend morning moving and tidy I'm so excited to share my newest partner: Marmara Imports.

Their mission at Marmara Imports is to offer exceptional, eco-friendly, fair-trade textiles to the United States market and beyond.  They support global artisans in their endeavor to sustain not only themselves and their families but also the ancient ways of weaving.  They are the exclusive American partner for a boutique-style production company, Lalay.  Lalay focuses on social responsibility by creating jobs and sharing this beautiful craft with villagers in Babadagh.

I absolutely love Turkish towels for their versatility in today's lifestyle.  Marmara Imports sent me a variety of kitchen essentials: South Beach hand towel (navy/white), Aegean White hand towel (white/gray), Aegean Ecru hand towel (green/white). and a set of four Sea Green napkins, all of which I used during my scone-making.  I also love that they offer pillow covers, beach towels, and picnic blankets for every adventure you take. 

Now back to those scones; like I said, holy mess!  But my, oh my, are they worth it.

All you need to make them are:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips

And for the glaze:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 - 3/4 confectioner's sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl.
3. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Mix together the vanilla extract and heavy cream and pour into crumb mixture.
5. With a wooden spoon, begin to mix the dough gently, until it is just combined.
6. Add in all the chocolate chips and continue to mix until the dough forms one ball.  If needed, knead the dough lightly to help it all form together.
7. Separate the dough into two even pieces, and form each piece in to a one inch thick circle.
8. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into six even triangles.
9. Grease a baking pan and place each triangle on the pan.
10. Bake for 20 minutes, until edges just begin to turn light brown.
11. Allow to cool fully before drizzling with vanilla glaze (made by whisking together all 3 ingredients).

These wonderful kitchen towels from Marmara Imports helped me stay sane during my baking morning but also are perfect and beautiful for serving.  I love the stripes and tassels on this South Beach towel, and the napkins are the perfect size for one of these delicious scones.  Pair with a fresh cup of coffee, and you have my ideal weekend morning!

I hope you'll visit Marmara Imports's website to buy one of these beautiful towels for yourself or check out their store list to see if you can shop for them near you!