Bacon and Cheddar Scones

I love breakfast, especially on weekends.  See, on Saturdays, one of us typically cooks something for breakfast. Feeling inspired to cook something on a recent Saturday morning, but not really sure what, I looked at a few saved recipes and discovered I had saved this particular recipe twice.  Luckily enough, I had all the ingredients I needed.  I took that as a sign that I needed to make these scones right away.

This was my first time making savory scones, and I have to say they’re simply brilliant.  Bake them on a Saturday morning, enjoy a couple, freeze the rest and then have breakfast the rest of the week!  They’re all I would want in a breakfast sandwich, packaged up in a neat, portable scone.  Oh, did I mention the flavor?  They’re hearty, for sure, but they’re also wonderfully fluffy and flaky.  I used applewood smoked bacon, and I think the smokiness of it went very well with the cheddar and green onions.  Since I can never seem to get enough pepper, I loved the amount of it in this recipe.

Bacon and Cheddar Scones
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tbsp water

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400°.  Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper on low speed.
-With the mixer running, gradually add the cubes of butter and continue mixing until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is in pea-sized pieces.  Add the grated cheese and mix until just blended. (This can also be done by hand by stirring the dry ingredients together and then cutting in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives.)
-Add the green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup buttermilk to the flour mixture.  Mix by hand until all the ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to overwork the dough.  If the dough is too dry to hold together, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball.
-Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Using a well floured rolling pin, flatten the dough into an 8-10 inch circle about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut the dough into 8-10 wedges, depending on the size you prefer.  I found a pizza cutter to work the best for getting evenly sized wedges.
-Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl to combine.  Brush each wedge with egg wash and transfer to a Silpat-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle.
-To freeze: Allow to cool completely.  Store in an airtight freezer bag.  Reheat in microwave for about two minutes on half power, or reheat in the oven at 400° for about 8 minutes.

Source: Originally from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather, adapted Buns in my Oven