Bacon, Pepper Jack and Jalapeno Scones
I’ve mentioned before how much Eric and I enjoy making breakfast on the weekends. Since I was pretty certain we wouldn’t be getting up eager to make breakfast after Clara was born, I wanted to make sure we had plenty of options that could be made quickly. I knew most friends that made meals for us would make dinner, so we were happy to have different things on hand, other than cereal or toast, for breakfast. I made a few different varieties of scones so that we could just pop them in the oven straight from the freezer. I can tell you without a doubt that these were Eric’s favorite (these were mine).
I adapted this recipe from one I posted a couple years ago, and I have to say – this version is even better than the original. I’ve been all about spicy food lately, and these scones have a slight kick thanks to the jalapenos. They’re incredibly hearty, filled with pockets of melted pepper jack and crispy bacon. The texture remains light and flaky, even with all the bacon and cheese. One of these is easily a meal on its own, but they’re so good it’s hard to just eat one. The best part for us is that they can be easily eaten with one hand, which is great when you’re taking care of a newborn.
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: 8-10 scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into small cubes
1½ cups grated pepper jack cheese
2 jalapeños, minced (seeds removed for less heat)
10 slices bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
1 to 1½ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
- 1
Heat oven to 400º. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the butter and work it with the tips of your fingers until the mixture is coarse and unevenly crumbly. Add the cheese and stir until combined.
- 2
Stir in the jalapeños, bacon and 1 cup of buttermilk. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, adding additional buttermilk a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough forms a ball. Take care not to overwork the dough. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8-inch circle about ½-inch thick. Cut into 8-10 wedges.
- 3
Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush each scone with the egg wash and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until scones are golden brown and the center is no longer doughy.
*To freeze, simply line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and place the unbaked scones on it. Freeze until the scones are firm, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake directly from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the original baking time.
I’ve yet to make savory scones! Yum!
We’ve made a few breakfast scones before but never one spicy like this. I love spice, need to try this one!
I am SUCH a savory-for-breakfast person… these scones are speaking my language!!! 😉
That looks so good! My mom made scones with black pepper that I loved- definitely going to give these a try!
These look and sound amazing!!
Savory scones are great!
What a different idea for scones! These just made my “gotta make this soon” list. 🙂
Oh my gosh, my son would just about die if I made these for him! Fabulous!
These sound amazing! Can’t wait to try them. You said “Bake directly from the oven, adding a few minutes to the original baking time.” Do you mean freezer instead of oven? I’d love to pull these from the freezer for a quick bite in a pinch!
Haha, oops! Thanks, Abbe! I just fixed it. 🙂
Wow, yum! I definitely trying these! I actually love powerful pepper flavors at breakfast. Starts my whole day right!