Care for a scone?

Whenever I hear the word "scone", I always feel the need to talk in a British accent. Even as I'm typing this, I'm thinking it in a British accent...am I a dork? Yes. But I'm telling you, reread the title of this post with a British accent and it's wayyyy cooler.

Yesterday, my mom, sister and myself had a little bible study and Cynthia asked me to make scones. I've never before made scones but I'm glad I did! I chose to make a savory scone rather than a fruity one and let me tell you, it was delicious.

The recipe calls for green onions but we didn't have any, so I used chopped red onion and flat leaf parsley instead.

Recipe adapted from Jason and Shawnda.


Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced (I used about 1/4 of a red onion and a 1/2 cup of parsley)
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
heavy cream, optional (can substitute for half the buttermilk)
1 large egg
2 tsp water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Grab your peppermill and start grinding - use a full tablespoon for a wonderfully peppery background or reduce by 1 tsp for less pepper flavor.
3. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl on low speed.
4. With mixer running, gradually add cubes of butter until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour - butter bits about the size of small peas.
5. Add grated cheese and mix just until blended. (This can also be done by hand: In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
Gradually cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in cheese.)
6. Add green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk to flour and cheese mixture. Mix by hand just until all ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball.
7. Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a lighter-textured scone.
8. Remove dough from bowl and place it on a lightly floured flat surface.
9. Pat dough into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick (the circle might be anywhere from 8-10 inches wide).
10. Cut dough into 8 wedges, depending on size scone you prefer.
11. Whisk egg and water in a small mixing bowl to combine.
12. Brush each wedge with egg wash.
13. Place scones on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.