Bring the Garden in Friday with Parmesan Rosemary Scones

I've been focused on sage recently, knowing it will only be around a few more weeks. Usually the week of Thanksgiving, when I need sage for our cornbread stuffing, the leaves have turned brown.

On Monday I had plans to make a parmesan sage bread. I thought it would go nicely with a big salad and baked squash--a real Autumn type of dinner. At some point, however, with my comings and goings throughout the day, I realized that I didn't have time to make the bread.

Do you ever have days like this where you're maybe a little too ambitious or distractions call you away? Sometimes by the end of the day I'm flying with Plan C.

Plan B I devised while driving to pick A. up at school. I'd make parmesan sage biscuits. After school pickups, I started searching for cheese biscuit recipes, and well, nothing was quite right. I was getting a little anxious by this point, seeing that dinner time was not far off and these supposed biscuits were to be the focal point.

Then I remembered my morning blog perusal. Scones?

Plan C. I adapted this cheddar scone recipe heavily to get where I wanted to go. I had some rosemary sprigs that I had used for photographing in the morning sitting on the cutting board. With no time to waste, the sage would have to wait.

These were heavenly. Sometimes being open to change works in one's favor. As a bonus, the beautiful, butternut squash we ate grew out of the compost pile from a squash we ate last year. A little gift for going with the twists and turns of the day.

Sometimes Plan C is mighty fine.

Parmesan Rosemary Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 ounces) cold butter, diced
1/2 cup half-and-half
3 eggs, divided
1/4 pound parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour with the baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, fork or two knives, until the butter bits are pea sized.

Lightly whip two of the eggs and half-and-half and add to the flour-butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, fold mixture until it begins to come together. Add the parmesan and mix until it is incorporated (you may need to use your hands to work in all the cheese). Add the rosemary and work it in in the same manner (the kneading will allow it to get fully mixed in).

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently for less than one minute. Pat dough out to a 3/4-to 1-inch thickness and either cut into 8 triangles or the shape of your choice with a biscuit cutter. Make an egg wash by beating the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush the scones with egg wash and place on a parchment-lined (or well-oiled) baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Scones are always best the first day (although we warmed the remaining scones again for next evening's dinner, and they were still really good).