Ingredients
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1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
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1 cup unbleached pastry flour
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1 tablespoon baking powder
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1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
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1 1/4 teaspoons salt
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2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
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1/4 cup cold butter, cut in pieces
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2 large eggs (1 separated, white reserved for glaze)
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1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup plain yogurt
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additional parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, cheese, salt and basil.
- Add the pieces of butter, working them into the flour, as you would with pie crust, till the mixture forms even crumbs.
- Beat together 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk, and the buttermilk or yogurt.
- Stir gently into dry mixture till the whole thing clings together.
- Turn dough onto a well-floured surface and pat into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle.
- Using a bowl scraper, baker's bench knife, regular knife or rolling pizza wheel, cut rectangle into squares; cut each square in half diagonally, so you have triangular scones.
- Make them as large or small as you wish.
- Transfer scones to lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Whisk reserved egg white vigorously, till it becomes somewhat liquid (instead of "clumpy").
- Brush each scone with egg white, and sprinkle with some additional Parmesan.
- Bake scones in a preheated 450°F oven for 10 minutes, or until light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes about 20 small (2-inch scones), or fewer large ones.