To be honest, this was actually my first attempt at making scones. I learned the technique by watching Barefoot Contessa in her ‘Ladies that Lunch’ episode and thought, “Hey, I think can do this!” I must confess, I rewatched the episode multiple times until I felt fairly confident about the steps and method. Ina Garten’s original recipe is Cheddar Dill Scones but I used the cheese and herb I had on hand-namely Parmesan and Scallions. Once you understand the technique, ingredient swapping is no big deal. And I feel this is true for so many recipes. The ingredients are secondary, the technique primary. Some main pointers I learned about making scones: (1) sift the dry ingredients to ensure a light, airy dough (2) use cold butter (3) whisk cream and eggs together (4) coat shredded parmesan and sliced scallions in some flour to make sure they are evenly distributed in dough (5) a sticky mixture is what we are aiming for because this will allow for a soft interior and (6) rotate sheet pan half way through when baking so scones cook evenly.
I think it’s fairly important to know your oven’s heating capabilities when baking anything. With some recent trial and error, I have figured out that with certain recipes, starting with a higher temperature and then slightly lowering the heat mid-baking allows for more control and better, even results. For this particular recipe, I first baked the scones in a parchment-lined baking sheet placed in the middle oven rack at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. I then decreased the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, rotated and moved baking sheet to top rack and continued to bake for a final 10-12 minutes until perfectly golden brown on top and bottom. Now that I am somewhat familiar with this scone making process, I have every intention of making other savory scones, and possibly some sweet ones too!
Parmesan Scallion Scones
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour *leveled and sifted
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- ¾ lb butter *3 sticks, really cold and diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 eggs *whisked directly in cream
- ½ lb Parmesan cheese *grated in food processor
- 1 cup scallions *chopped
- 1 tbsp flour *sprinkled on top of grated parmesan cheese and scallions
- extra flour *as needed, for rolling dough
- egg wash *1 egg + 1 tsp cream, whisked
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the flour, salt and baking soda and sift into a large mixing bowl. Add dry ingredient to electric stand mixer bowl, add the cold diced butter and mix on low speed using paddle attachment until butter is incorporated into flour (until you have small pea-sized pieces of butter throughout flour).
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together cream and eggs, pour into butter-flour mixture and continue to mix on low speed until just blended. Meanwhile, sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese and chopped scallions with 1 tablespoon flour and gently mix with your hands to coat. Add floured cheese and scallions to dough and mix for 1 minute, until incorporated (do not over mix).
- Remove dough onto a generously floured surface, knead and pat. Roll the dough to your desired thickness (approximately ¾" thick). Using a 4" square cutter, cut into squares and then using a sharp knife, cut in half diagonally to make triangles. Place scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Gently brush the tops with egg wash (egg + cream whisked).
- Bake scones for 10-12 minutes (middle rack) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then lower temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, rotate and move baking sheet to top rack and continue to bake until golden brown on top and bottom, approximately 12-15 more minutes.
- Hot, buttery, soft, flaky and super delicious Parmesan Scallion scones are now ready to serve. Can be stored in an airtight container for a few days and reheated. The perfect morning breakfast (all you need is a cup of chai or coffee!). Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.