Savory Bacon-Cheddar Cheese-Chive Scones

Is there anything prettier than a pile of freshly baked scones?

Although I love scones of all types, I usually bake sweet scones, and I think most Americans picture sweet scones when you talk of scones at all. However, to my surprise, Hubby's workplace specifically requested a bacon-filled breakfast scone. After my initial surprise, I set to work developing a recipe that would do justice to bacon and a savory scone breakfast. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
5 cups flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp baking powder

1 stick butter (8 tbsp)

2.5 cups coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese*

1 lb thick cut bacon

2/3 cup sliced chives

2 cups buttermilk 

1/2 cup sour cream

Egg wash: 
1 large egg
2 tbsp water

1. Cook bacon on stovetop, drain and cool on a paper towel lined plate or tray.

2. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. 

3. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk to mix.

4. Set aside the flour mix and chop the cooled bacon into inch-long pieces.

5. Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces and combine with dry ingredients using a pastry cutter.

6. Add cheddar, chopped bacon, and chives and use a wooden spoon to mix well.

7. Combine sour cream and buttermilk and whisk until no chunks remain. Add to flour until you get a dry dough (do not overmix).

8. Use a 1/3-cup scoop to form drop scones. Spray or coat the scoop with oil to release scones easier. Place each scone on a parchment-lined sheet, about two inches apart. Makes 20-21 scones.

9. Optional: mix egg with 2 tbsp of water and brush on the top of the scones before baking.

10. Bake at 425ºF for 15-17 minutes or until golden.

The Process:

Measure out everything before you get started.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
Then add the cubed butter and work in until it resembles coarse sand.

Add the chives, bacon and cheese.

Mix well.

Add the buttermilk, sour cream mixture and stir to combine.
Try not to overwork but combine as much as possible.

Use a greased 1/3-cup scoop to form drop scones and
place about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes.

Notes:

*I used Kroger sharp cheddar, if using an expensive sharp or extra-sharp cheddar, you could cut down to 2 cups.

I think next time I make these, I would add some jalapeños or cayenne pepper for a bit of spice.

Results:
The comments received on these scones were overwhelmingly positive. I snitched the barest piece, but I think an extra-sharp cheddar or more high quality cheddar cheese would be worth the investment. 

These would be great to keep in the freezer and bake a couple at a time for a quick breakfast scone or to serve to guests as a quick and easy breakfast. 

They also would complement chili or some other hearty soup well, I think. They'd probably taste well with Tabasco or a dollop of sour cream on top. 

All in all, these are a pretty versatile scone full of different ways to enjoy it.

Fresh Peach Scones

Fruit scones are always light and airy, and when just out of the oven, I think they're best. Most scones are traditional flavors with dried fruits like cranberries, currants, or raisins, but fresh fruits are also a possibility with scones. They are a minor bit more work, but always worth it in the end.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp 1 tsp baking powder

1 stick unsalted butter

1 generous cup peaches, drained and diced (canned or fresh--peeled)

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp peach nectar (found in the Mexican food aisle)

Cream for brushing 

Swedish Pearl Sugar for sprinkling 

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Whisk the dry ingredients together. Cut in (with a pastry cutter or knives or fingertips) the stick of diced butter. Fold in the diced, drained peaches. 

In a medium sized bowl, gently whisk together the egg, whipping cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, and peach nectar (do not whip). Drizzle over the dry mixture and mix gently until it has come together. It may be a little sticky.

Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, sprayed with Pam or a vegetable spray to keep the dough from sticking, scoop out scones onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, several inches apart. Brush with cream, if desired, and sprinkle with coarse sugar (I used Swedish Pearl Sugar). 

Bake at 400ºF about 15-17 minutes. 

Serves: 12.

The Process:

Ingredients all measured out and ready to go.

Swedish Pearl Sugar. I love this stuff for sprinkling on top of scones!

Make sure the butter is cold and diced.

Rub or cut in butter until it resembles coarse sand.
(A few buttery lumps are okay.)

Add the peaches and mix gently.

Add the liquid to the dry mix and mix until just combined.

Use a greased 1/3-cup scoop to shape these scones and
put them on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with Pearl Sugar (or coarse sugar). If you didn't grease
the measuring cup, you may want to brush milk or egg on the top
of the scones so that the sugar will stick.

15-17 minutes later, voila.

Results: I was quite pleased with how these scones turned out. The almond is a great complement to the peach, and they are wonderful warm or cold (but best warm). They would be excellent with coffee or a black tea. The sugar on top is optional, but I thought it really added to the flavor of the scone.

Chocolate Truffle Scones

I love dark chocolate. Apparently people at my husband's workplace do, too. At least, that seems to be the only thing explaining the two separate requests I got for Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Scones. So, I started thinking about why I avoid them, and came up with the fact that they always seem to be far too dry and dense. I blame it on the unsweetened chocolate powder and the regular flour. So in making up this recipe, I opted for a mix of lighter cake flour (to be found in the baking aisle next to regular flour) and regular all-purpose flour. The results, I must say, surprised me.

Mix:

1-1/2 cups cake flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2-1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup unsweetened chocolate powder (I used Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup (8 tbsp) cold, unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (I used 60% cocoa)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup 1% milk

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

1 tbsp instant coffee

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk gently together the heavy cream, 1% milk, vanilla bean paste and instant coffee. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, chocolate powder, and brown sugar.

Add the diced butter and work into dry ingredients with a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Add 3/4 cups dark chocolate chunks and mix.

Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and combine until just mixed. Do not over knead. 

Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and divide dough into two even pieces. Flatten each piece into a round about 1/2-inch high. Cut each round into 8 triangles.

Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for about 13 minutes or until browned on top (you will have to look at the edges to see the color change).

Serves: 16 small scones*

*these are rich, so they are best served in small amounts.

The Process:

Everything's measured out and ready to go.

Combine the liquid ingredients now so that the instant coffee can dissolve.

Combine dry ingredients first: flours, chocolate powder, brown sugar,
baking powder, salt.

Add butter, cut in.

Mix should look like coarse sand--a few butter lumps are okay.

After adding the liquid to the dry ingredients and mixing just enough to bring together,
press out onto a lightly floured countertop to a 9-inch round.

Alternatively, you can divide the dough into two pieces and make two smaller rounds
so that you can cut small scones.

Cut the 9-inch round into 16 pieces (by cutting each large scone into two,
somewhat irregular pieces).

Or cut the two smaller rounds into 8 pieces each for more regular sized scones.

The finished product: a quite irregular, but decadently tasting scone.

Results:

These tasted like truffles. They are excellent with either a tall glass of milk or a mug of hot coffee. Great as dessert or a decadent breakfast, and wonderful for the chocolate lover in your life.

Lemon Poppyseed Scones

Now that I send a weekly batch of scones into work with my husband, his co-workers have
started asking for specific types of scones. Therefore, I've begun more experimenting. Thus a recipe that I'm probably not the best guinea pig for: Lemon Poppyseed Scones. Now, I've never been a fan of lemon, or poppyseeds, but I'm game for coming up with a new recipe. So this was my best attempt.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1.5 tbsp baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cardamom

1/4 cup poppy seeds

zest from 2 lemons (or one large lemon)

1 stick cold butter, diced

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 tbsp lemon juice (approximately the juice of one lemon, mediumish/large) 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cardamom, sugar, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds together. 

Cut in the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or two knives used scissor fashion. (You can also use your fingertips if so desired.)

Add the lemon juice to the buttermilk and mix. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until the dough just comes together.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured countertop and divide into two. Press each half into a 1/2-inch high circle and cut into eighths. Place on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet two inches apart.

Bake at 400ºF for about 15-17 minutes, or until golden on top.

Serves: 16

Results: 

To be honest, I was a little disappointed with these. I felt that they weren't fluffy and flaky enough. The flavor was good, (although I'm not a huge lemon or poppyseed fan) and so I'll have to do some more experimentation to perfect these. Perhaps more butter or substituting heavy whipping cream for the buttermilk.