Rosemary + White Chocolate Buttermilk Scones

If you have a scone in the UK, they are cut into circles but for me, scones are triangles and biscuits are circles, and that is that. I like to have a corner to bite into, it just feels right for the density that makes up a delicious scone.

Let me tell you, these are some delicious scones. We made these in pastry school, though plain, but I did add white chocolate to mine and thought too late about a rosemary addition (simply sprinkling it on top but not baking within the scone aka basically zero rosemary flavor). I’ve righted my wrong in this recipe though, don’t worry.

As the white chocolate bakes, it becomes almost caramelized on the pieces that stick out from the scone dough on the tray. The rosemary permeates the dough in just the right way making the flavor come through in perfect partnership with the chocolate, without overpowering the scone. Sprinkle the tops with some rosemary sugar and you’ve got yourself the perfect bake for a yummy breakfast or afternoon tea.

Yields: 12 scones

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 cups + 5 tsp (500g) Flour
6 tsp (30g) Baking powder
⅓ cup (90g) Caster sugar
5 ½ tbsp (80g) Butter, cold and cubed
½ tsp salt
2 large Eggs
½ cup Buttermilk
¼ cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ cup white chocolate, chips or cut into small chunks

Glaze:

1 egg yolk
2 tbsp heavy cream

Rosemary Sugar

2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp sugar

Directions:

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add cubed cold butter to the bowl and using your fingers, rub together with the dry ingredients until really fine and no large lumps of butter remain.
Stir in chopped rosemary
In a separate bowl, whisk together two large eggs
Make well in dry mix and pour eggs and buttermilk into the well
Cut through the mixture with a dough scraper and then when there is barely any loose flour at the bottom, gently compress the dough with your hand to bring it together. Avoid stretching dough, as you don’t want the gluten to build up.
Dump the dough onto your counter and press it into a square. Sprinkle with chopped white chocolate and then fold the dough over and gently compress to lock in.
Flatten slightly and wrap up tightly. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Lightly dust the counter with flour, place down chilled dough, and lightly flour the surface of the dough before rolling it into a rectangle just under an inch thick
Use your dough scraper or a knife to cut into 12 right triangles
In a bowl make your glaze, beating together your yolk and heavy cream
Lightly brush only the tops of your cut scones with the glaze and leave uncovered to dry for 15 minutes
Bake at 338F CONVECTION for 10-14 minutes. Rotating the pan once at the 10-minute mark, baking until lightly golden around the top and edges
Make your rosemary sugar while the scones are baking, combining sugar and chopped rosemary into a bowl and rubbing the rosemary into the sugar for a few minutes, working to blend the oils from the herbs into the sugar.
Sprinkle rosemary sugar over scones immediately once scones come out of the oven
Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool completely
Enjoy!

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Notes:

Only glaze the tops of your scone dough ahead of baking. Glazing the sides can affect the rise of the dough as it cooks.
This recipe has been adapted from a buttermilk scone recipe I received from Chef Ashley during my patisserie course in Scotland.

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