Baileys Irish Cream Scones with Whiskey-Chocolate Sauce

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the bowl and whisk attachment from your mixer into the freezer to chill.
Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl. Whisk in the vanilla, 3 tablespoons of half and half, and the Baileys Irish cream. Hold this aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee granules.
Slice the cold butter into small pieces and toss them in the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to blend the butter into the flour.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture along with the mini chocolate chips and stir everything together. The mixture will look rough and clumpy.
Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough mixture out onto it. Gently squeeze and knead the dough, just enough for the dough to come together. It will still look a bit lumpy and rough, but that's OK - you don't want to overwork the dough.
Form the dough into a square 6 inches by 6 inches and with a level top - it will be about 1½ inches thick. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

After chilling, unwrap the dough and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently cut the square into 9 equal portions. (Do your best to slice through the dough without compressing it too much. A sharp knife should work well.)
Separate the dough squares a little. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops with the extra half and half.
Bake the scones for about 18 minutes. They will be puffed and browned - if they are browning too fast lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top to shield them. Remove the scones to a cooling rack. As soon as they are cooled, cover them with plastic wrap to keep them soft until you are ready to assemble the dessert.

In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of the heavy cream over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream just begins to simmer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add in the chocolate. Stir until it is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the whiskey.

Assemble the chilled bowl and whisk attachment onto your mixer. Pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and the ¼ cup of confectioner's sugar into the bowl. Whisk the cream on high for about 2-4 minutes scraping the bowl one or two more times, and stop mixing when the cream has stiff peaks.

Split the scones in half, and place the bottom half on a plate. Spoon some whipped cream over the scone bottom. If you are using berries, you can place a couple on the whipped cream.
Place the top half of the scone on the whipped cream, and drizzle the top with the whiskey-chocolate sauce. Repeat with as many of the remaining scones as you are serving. Add 1 or 2 raspberries to the tops and serve them immediately.
Leftover scones can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Leftover whipped cream can be stored covered in the fridge for 2 days. Leftover chocolate sauce can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

For an extra dose of Irish cream flavor, substitute ⅔ cup of Bailey's Irish Cream chocolate chips for the mini chocolate chips.