So who doesn’t love a warm and slightly toasty baked goodie smothered with butter for breakfast? I know I certainly do, but I am heartily sick of purchasing these delights from the grocery store or even a bakery (not that there are any of any decent quality around me) because they are full of nasty oils, fake ingredients, and are obviously made without the love that a home baker infuses into each batch of baked wonders.
There is a fine grey line of difference between a scone and a biscuit, and it comes down to two things more than any other – shape and texture. A scone is going to be slightly drier, triangle shaped and you can almost taste the baking soda and baking powder used to help them rise. A biscuit on the other hand, is generally round with a slightly moister texture though they are certainly as crumbly. Either one can make a great vestibule for a world of tasty ingredients but with the following recipe I have decided to blur this grey line and call scones what are obviously biscuit shape with a texture somewhere betwixt the two.
Deceptively easy to make, the majority of work to prepare these scones is in the chopping. A hearty blend of cheese, green onion and bacon make these treats just out of this world. There is a price however, each tasty morsel leveled out at about 17grams of fat…each.
Bacon, Cheese & Green On
ion Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1 TB baking powder
1 pinch cayenne powder
1/2 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
8 TB unsalted butter, very cold and diced
1/2 cup half and half cream
2 eggs
4 ounces cheese (swiss, cheddar, pepper jack, gruyere…whatever you have on hand) grated or diced
2 green onions, sliced thinly
8 strips of bacon, cooked to crisp and then drained of fat and crumbled
egg wash for the glaze (1 egg mixed with 1 TB water)
1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
2. Prepare your bacon, onion and cheese and when cooled toss together. Set aside.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, spices and mix well. Add the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the butter is pea size. Beat the eggs and half and half together then add to the flour mixture. Toss with the bacon, onion and cheese then stir until it barely comes together. Do NOT overmix.
4. Pour the batter out onto a well floured surface. Knead the mixture together for about one minute or until it is well combined. Pat the mixture into a 1 inch thickness then using a round cutter cut out your scones. Alternatively, purists can pat the mixture into a circle and cut them into triangles. Reform the remainder and continue cutting until all the batter has been used. Place them on the baking tray and brush with egg wash.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Keep an eye on your scones, do NOT overcook them. You want them honey brown, not dark brown and not too light either. Test with a toothpick and if a few crumbs remain on the toothpick then they’re likely done.
6. Serve with a glob of butter and enjoy! These freeze great for a busy-morning breakfast; just rewarm in the toaster oven.
