Parmesan Herb Scones

I'm always up for trying new scone recipes, especially savory ones. Reading through the recipe, I thought the addition of parmesan cheese with all the herbs would be really delicious..and I was right! These are from the cookbook I recently bought, " The Spice Kitchen".
And you see those fried and baked onions on top? They are the best, crunchy with great oniony flavor.

I used mostly fresh herbs since I have so many growing in my garden.( I did use a little dried also to up the flavor). The book says you can use fresh or dried herbs for any of the recipes in the book. It's a three-to-one ratio of fresh to dried. One tablespoon of fresh herbs for each teaspoon of dried.

One important change I made was that I cut the scones into wedges before baking. The original recipe calls for scoring, then baking the rounds, then after baking, cut them apart. I've never made scones this way..and I wasn't about to start now!).

You'll be using 4 herbs, basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano and like I said above, fresh or dried.

Here they're ready to chop up.

Combine the dry ingredients, including oregano and basil in a medium bowl.

Slice your onion in very thin slices and saute in some butter til soft.

Then add in the thyme and rosemary. Set it aside for the topping.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and using a pastry blender or 2 knives ( I use my fingers), work the butter into the dry til it's the size of small crumbs.

Whisk the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl.

And add the wet to the dry, stirring with a fork til just combined. Don't overwork the dough.( I needed a little more buttermilk but you may not). It should be moist but not too wet.

Divide the dough in half and form two round balls.

Place both onto a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to 8" circles.

Score the dough...

And divide into 6 wedges ( I put the onions on top before I cut them into wedges..don't do it this way!). Cut them apart first.

Put the onions with rosemary and thyme on top.

See, I didn't cut them apart before I put the topping on and, it was still okay, just a little tricky to cut.
Then bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Parmesan Herb Scones (from "The Spice Kitchen"

Makes 12 scones.

Remember: The amounts for the herbs below are for dried. If you're subbing fresh for dried use 3 times more).

3 cups AP flour

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 baking soda

6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

Topping:

2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter

1 medium onion ( any variety), thinly sliced

1 tsp. rosemary

1/2 tsp. thyme

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the topping:

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute til tender. Stir in rosemary and thyme.

Spread the mixture evenly over both rounds.

Scones:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, cheese, baking powder, oregano, basil, salt, garlic powder and baking soda.

2. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives ( I always use my fingers) cut in the 6 tablespoons of butter til it is the size of small crumbs.

3. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl and add to dry mixture, stirring just til combined.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Handling the dough as little as possible, knead the dough 5 to 6 times. ( I don't do this step. I simply place the dough onto the parchment paper and form into a round and flatten. The less you work the dough, the better).

5. Place both balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to 8" circles. Flour your fingers to keep the dough from sticking.

6. Score the dough and divide each circle into 6 wedges. ( I also cut them apart.).

7. Sprinkle the onion topping onto the scones and bake 20 to 25 minutes, til the top is golden brown.

8. Cut into wedges ( if you didn't already) and serve.