You can take the girl out of Chicago, but you can never take the Chicago out of the girl.  I’m fondly thinking of my hometown with St. Patrick’s Day just a few days away. Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by turning both the Chicago river and most of the beer in the city, green! It’s a big day of celebration, and it serves as my inspiration for this recipe for Irish Cream Scones.

My friend Kathy offered to be my kitchen assistant for our scone making endeavor. Not only is Kathy of Irish descent, she is also a gifted musician who plays the bagpipes, making her my perfect St. Patrick’s Day muse! Anyone who has ever been to a St. Patrick’s Day parade knows that the pipes and drums are an iconic part of the revelry. I personally find the sound of the pipes to be deeply expressive and stirring.  I don’t know much about music, but I do know that learning to play the bagpipes is hard.  Kathy learned to play as a mid-life endeavor, and as with anything worthwhile, practice and commitment are on the road to mastery. I really love hanging out with people who step out of their comfort zone, because they always inspire me to step out of mine!

 I would classify scones as decidedly British, but in this case, I’m turning them into an homage to St. Patrick’s with the addition of Bailey’s Irish Cream.  Traditional scones are made with a lot of both butter and cream, that’s why they are so addictively delicious. I’ve created a version that re-works the classic recipe to make them lighter in calories. I’ve cut the butter in half and used a blend of low-fat buttermilk and Bailey’s to replace the cream.

Because the butter is significantly reduced, I incorporated a rather ingenious technique (watch video) where butter is frozen and then grated, using a simple box grater. Using extremely cold butter is important. All butter contains water, this important element creates steam in a hot oven, allowing the scones to rise and creating the delicate crumb interior. The colder the butter, the better the results. By grating, the butter is broken down into tiny shards, making it easier to incorporate and distribute into the dry ingredients.

I actually had to make this recipe twice to get the results I desired.  With the first batch, I forgot to incorporate the egg. When they came out of the oven, they smelled delightful and looked fine. But when we tasted them, we discerned a very strong after-taste of what we thought was baking powder. So I made the recipe a second time being sure to add the missing egg, and carefully measuring all the other ingredients. It was then that I discovered the mistake that threw off the taste; I had used a large amount of baking soda in place of baking powder!

The second batch was a winner, they rose higher and were delicate in both taste texture. When you take them out of the oven, let them cool for at least 15 minutes. Then finish them with a drizzle of Baileys mixed with powdered sugar, and that takes them over the top.  These scones would make a lovely treat any time of the year, and shouldn’t be just for devouring on St. Patrick’s Day. Adding them to Easter brunch would be a nice touch.  If you don’t like Baileys, or want to eliminate alcohol from the recipe, then replace it entirely with buttermilk. The scones are best served warm.