Bacon & Cheddar Scones

I mentioned to JB & Candy the other day that I might make these scones the other night and they were apparently pretty excited by the prospect. They seemed quite disappointed when I showed up with the giant cranberry orange muffins instead... in fact, Candy didn't even have a muffin... she must have really wanted that scone. :)

Well, I made the scone recipe tonight, and they look just as yummy as they did the first time. This is another Pastry Queen recipe, and she claims that her bake shop sells out of these things every day. I can see why too... how can you go wrong with bacon, extra-sharp cheddar cheese, and green onions in a yummy buttermilk biscuit-type wrapping?

If you've never made biscuits or scones, there are a couple of tricks. One is to use cold butter (sometimes I'll throw the butter in the freezer) and leave lumps when you cut it into the flour. The lumps of butter melt while they are baking and help with creating a layered, fluffy biscuit. The other trick is to not over-mix when you add the wet ingredients. I almost always use more buttermilk than called for -- sometimes quite a bit more. I just add a little at a time if I see lots of dry floury areas and work it gently in until the dough actually looks like a dough. I'm sure other people have different techniques that work just as well for them, but I've never gone wrong with this method. If something else works for you, go for it.

Oh, and I never do the glaze... just a personal thing. They would probably be a little prettier with the glaze, but they taste great without it.



Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 400. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper in a large bowl on low speed. With the mixer running, gradually add the cubes of butter until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour-butter bits about the size of small peas. Add the grated cheese and mix until blended. (This can also be done by hand: using a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter until the mixture looks like small peas)

Add the green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk to the flour and cheese mixture. Mix by hand just until all the ingredients are incorporated. If the dough is too dry to hold together, use the remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball. Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a light-textured scone. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a circle about 8 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges.

Whisk the egg and water in a small mixing bowl. Brush each wedge with the egg wash. Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle.