White Chocolate Macadamia Scones

Not too long ago I had to go to an appointment.  The worst kind of appointment: retirement planning.  The guy seemed nice enough.  His name was Sherman (not making that up) something or other.  He spoke about how to reallocate the thingamabobs in my 401K.  “Hare hum, ohf be-gloggin meeshie moo,” he said.  I nodded my head in agreement.  I was pretty wrapped up in my own thoughts which had nothing to do with investment anything.  He kept going on about bonds or some such, but all I wanted to do was high tail it outta there so I could tear into this little piece of heaven.  “So, for example, if you put the five percent in flarney barney wa wa,” explained Sherman.  “Because the market is going to crikey mikey dippy doo.”  Yes, yes I agreed.  My eyes glazed over.  I had no idea what he was talking about.   My mind was on more important matters. 

Makes 8 scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
3 TBSP granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk, cold
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/3 cup good quality white chocolate chips

For garnishing with sugar:
1/3 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top

Position rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 425 deg F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the syrup for sugar garnish by mixing the 3 tablespoons sugar into the 1/3 cup of boiling water and set aside.

Sift first 5 ingredients into a large bowl. Give it a good mix so that the flour mixture is uniform. Add the cold butter and mix together with your hands until the mixture looks like coarse sand or coarse meal. I find that if you rub the flour and butter between your hands it works a lot faster.

In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolk and vanilla. Pour into flour/butter mixture and mix until it comes together. I know, it's sticky. Add in the nuts and chocolate chips and give it a good knead in the bowl.

Dust your working surface with flour and turn the dough out of the bowl. Knead it a couple of times. Pat down and flatten it out into a disk about 1" thick. Cut into 8 slices and place on lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the sugar syrup and sprinkle sugar over the top of them. This will make them sparkle.
Bake for 13-14 minutes until golden brown on top.

This recipe is very versatile. You can substitute the nuts and chocolate for pretty much anything.

Dig in!