Sunday, April 29, 2012

Bacon Cheddar Scones

I am not a morning person.  My alarm wakes me up at 0530, I stay in bed till 0545 (sometimes later-oh crap!), get up, turn on my coffee maker, jump in the shower, get dressed and out the door I go to work, having to be there by 0630.  It takes me at least a half hour to fully wake up.  I usually don't get to eat breakfast until 1000, which is my coffee break.  When I don't have to work, I usually sleep in till 0800, then slowly wake up while watching the news.  I usually feel like eating around 10, if not later.  Not exactly a healthy habit, considering breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day.  This is a habit I am trying to break, even if it just means grabbing some fruit on the go.

I love scones, but Gavin is very picky about them.  As a result, I don't make them as often as I should. They have to be 'just right' in order for Gavin to eat them (who knows what that means!) or else I'm stuck eating them all.  So when the scones finished baking, I broke one in half.   Gavin and I stood around the oven and said 'Ooooooohmmm' in unison. I think that's a good sign!  I don't normally eat bacon or cheese at home, but loved these scones.  I query whether or not if I would eat these for breakfast, but they are certainly a delicious (and hearty) snack. 

I changed a couple things from the original recipe as, well, Gavin had eaten most of the cheese from the day before, so I had to reduce the amount down (from 1 1/2 cup) and added some thyme and increased the baking powder a slight amount (originally 1 tablespoon) so that the scone would rise more.  I don't know if the added baking powder helped, but these scones rose quite a bit, and were moist and tender.  If I was making breakfast for a crowd, or going to a friend's house, I would definitely bring these.

Bacon Cheddar Scones

Makes 8-10 Scones

INGREDIENTS
For the scones:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. ground black pepper (depending on your preference)
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup grated cheddar cheese  (I used a combination of white and orange)

1/2 tablespoon thyme
½  cup green onion
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk (plus up to ½ cup extra, if needed)

For the egg wash:
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper; mix just enough to combine.  Add the cubes of butter and mix on low until the mixture is crumbly (it should be approximately the size of small peas). Add in the grated cheese and thyme and mix until incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and add in the green onions, bacon, 1 cup buttermilk and add into the flour-butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are incorporated. If the dough is to dry, add the remaining buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until the dough can be formed into a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, pat into an 8-inch dish. Slice into 8to 10 wedges.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Brush the wedge lightly with the egg wash. Transfer the scones to an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: adapted from The Comfort of Cooking, originally from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather