Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the sugar, baking powder, salt, flour, and blood orange zest. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold butter chunks, and pulse until you have pea-sized amounts. Alternatively, combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and then cut the butter into pea-sized pieces using a pastry cutter or the tines of a fork.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Add the cream mixture and the chocolate chunks to the flour-butter mixture, and stir with a spoon until the dough starts to come together. Use your hands if necessary, but work quickly and do not overmix! A few dry spots are ok.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll until it’s about 1” thick. Use a 2 1/2” biscuit cutter or mason jar lid to cut out the scones. Re-roll as necessary. Place the scones on the cookie sheets about 2” apart from each other. Alternatively, quickly press the dough into a large 1” thick circle. Cut into 1/8ths with a sharp knife. *Optional: Place the scones in the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes to ensure the butter is cold before baking!

Bake the scones for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are a light golden brown and the tops are dry. Let the scones cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool completely.

Combine the blood orange juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the chocolate chip scones, and garnish if desired (I like adding a sprig of thyme!) Once the glaze has hardened, store the scones in an airtight container for up to three days.