Basil & Parmesan Scones - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup unbleached pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup cold butter, cut in pieces
2 large eggs (1 separated, white reserved for glaze)
1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup plain yogurt
additional parmesan cheese

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, cheese, salt and basil.
Add the pieces of butter, working them into the flour, as you would with pie crust, till the mixture forms even crumbs.
Beat together 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk, and the buttermilk or yogurt.
Stir gently into dry mixture till the whole thing clings together.
Turn dough onto a well-floured surface and pat into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle.
Using a bowl scraper, baker's bench knife, regular knife or rolling pizza wheel, cut rectangle into squares; cut each square in half diagonally, so you have triangular scones.
Make them as large or small as you wish.
Transfer scones to lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Whisk reserved egg white vigorously, till it becomes somewhat liquid (instead of \"clumpy\").
Brush each scone with egg white, and sprinkle with some additional Parmesan.
Bake scones in a preheated 450\u00b0F oven for 10 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes about 20 small (2-inch scones), or fewer large ones.