Rosemary is our ingredient of the season. We think you’ll love the rosemary aroma that’s left on your fingers after mixing these scones, only to by topped by the aroma that fills your house as they are baking!

These are your grandmother’s scones.  Rosemary, butter and heavy cream are the main flavor players in this mix.  Crumbly, but not dry, these scones are perfect with a cup of tea or in place of a biscuit at lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks

Glaze (optional)

• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbs. milk
• sea salt for sprinkling

*makes 8 large scones

Instructions:

• Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400ºF.  Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

• In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, rosemary, baking powder and salt.  I like to give the ingredients a light whisk to ensure everything is mixed evenly.

• Slice cold butter and add it to the dry ingredients.  Now it’s time to play Edward-butter-knife-hands, if you have a pastry cutter-use that now.  Hold a butter knife in each hand and begin chopping the slices of butter even smaller until all the pieces are no larger than a tic-tac.  That little lump you see on the butter knife is an example of what your largest butter ball should look like.

• In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the two egg yolks and stir in the cup of cream until it’s blended together.  If you’re new to the egg-separating game, don’t fret it’s easy.  Just give your egg a good whack on the side of a small bowl, right about in the center of the shell.  Then pour the yolk into one side of the shell and back into the other.  Continue to do that little egg dance until all of the egg whites fall out of the shell and into the small bowl.  You should be left with a perfect little yolk.  After the egg yolks and cream are blended, combine it with the dry ingredients.

• Gently mix the batter with a wooden spoon.

• Dust your hands and a clean surface with flour.  Lightly knead the batter.  I like to push the ball forwards over and into itself, backwards, left and right.  You don’t want to over mix the dough or it will become gummy.  Lumps and bumps are characteristics of a great scone.

• Form the dough into a disk about an inch thick.  Cut the disk in half and then cut each half into four triangles.  Place the triangles on your prepared baking sheet.

The glaze is optional, but it adds a nice golden sheen to the scones, so if you’d like to pretty ‘em up a bit then glaze on.

• Lightly whisk two eggs and a tablespoon of milk and brush it onto your wedges.  If you’re like me and your kitchen isn’t fully stocked with gadgets, gizmos and mainly a pastry brush, no worries!  Wash your hands and grab a spoon.  Spoon a little bit of glaze onto each triangle and gently brush two fingers over it to evenly coat the scone. You’ll have a good amount of glaze left over. Martha is probably shaking her head, but that’s how we do it over in Sarah’s kitchen.

• Sprinkle each scone with a bit of course salt and before popping them in the oven for 15-18 minutes.

While the scones were baking I mixed the extra glaze with the two egg whites and scrambled up a healthy little snack.  It was just enough to tide me over until the buzzer rang.  The scones should have a golden brown crust when they’re finished.  To ensure they are fully baked, insert a toothpick, chopstick or butter knife into the center of a scone and make sure it comes out squeaky clean. Serve warm or at room temperature and be sure to enjoy!

*I slightly tweaked this recipe from one found in Fine Cooking.