During comfort food season, few things warm the innards like a crumbly, buttery scone. Chicago’s bakeries are turning out showstopping specimens that have come a long way from their humble British and Scottish roots.
Here are the best, including an option that won’t completely derail your weight-loss resolution.
Hoosier Mama Pie Company
Paula Haney has a pastry rep to protect. Her golden scones ($3, pictured above)—laced with dark chocolate chips or fruits such as tangy cranberries—leave no doubt. hoosiermamapie.com for locations
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Caffe Streets
No day-old duds here; you’ll find five flavors ($3.50) handcrafted daily, including a g-free pick (recently, an ultramoist blueberry and lemon zest) made with rice flour. 1750 W. Division St., 773-278-2739, caffestreets.com
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Angel Food Bakery
This cozy shop has but one stellar scone offering ($2.75) a day—the dome-shaped sweet-and-savory cornmeal-apple, for instance. 1636 W. Montrose Ave., 773-728-1512, angelfoodltd.com
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Floriole
Slightly charred cheese flecks the cheddar-chive masterpiece ($3) and melts to oozy perfection when dunked in the soup du jour. The result: pure wintertime delight. 1220 W. Webster Ave., 773-883-1313, floriole.com
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Interurban
Christine McCabe folds frozen blueberries from last summer’s farmers’ markets into her pleasantly nutty whole-wheat scones ($2.25) for a not-too-indulgent snack. 2008 N. Halsted St., 773-698-7739
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A Taste of Heaven
Warm from the oven, these muffiny morsels ($1.50) are irresistible—especially the raspberry version. Free coffee on Wednesdays sweetens the deal. 5401 N. Clark St., 773-989-0151, atasteofheavenchicago.com