When my oldest was tiny, and I was far too young, I worked as a vendor at our island farmers’ market. I was selling herbs, soap I made, vegetables…and I often made scones. Back then, before the state I lived in messed it up, if you made “safe” baked goods, you could bring them to the bakery tent and sell them as a vendor. Affordable treats, handcrafted. I just couldn’t use meat or make pies that needed chilling. So I made a LOT of scones. Because cookies? Everyone had those. Scones were unique.
I got very good at making them, and unlike biscuits, they needed minimal handling, so they stayed tender. A few truths about making scones: the main one is to use real butter. And it must be cold, diced up, before you work it in. And just use your hands to mix the dough. Do not overthink it.
I was poking around the pantry and fridge, craving a savory treat, and this came together quickly.
Bacon Cheddar Scones
Ingredients:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour + a bit more for the kneading
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese (used a sun-dried tomato black pepper variety)
- 2.5-ounce bag of real bacon bits (pre-cooked bacon that is finely cut)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup milk + a bit more for the top
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the diced butter and work it in quickly with your fingers.
Stir in the cheese and bacon.
Whisk the eggs into the milk, add to the bowl. Use your fingers to bring the dough together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes, until it’s no longer sticky.
Cut the dough in half, shape each section into a 6″ disc with your palms.
Cut each disc into 8 wedges and place on the sheet, leaving about an inch between each wedge.
Pour a bit of milk into a small bowl and use a pastry brush to coat the tops liberally.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown. Take out and let cool enough to eat.
Should you have leftovers, store tightly covered.
Makes 2 wheels of scones and 16 total wedges.
~Sarah