Bacon-Cheddar-Chive Scones
We usually think of scones as sweet, not savory. But these rich, tender scones are packed with chunks of Cheddar cheese and diced bacon, and accented with fresh chives. Serve them with soup or a salad for a satisfying meal.
Read our blog about these scones, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Perfect Pastry Blend
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) cold butter
1 cup (4 ounces) very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese
1/3 cup (about 1/2 ounce) snipped fresh chives, or finely diced scallion tops (the green part, 3/4 ounce)
1/2 pound bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (7 ounces) heavy cream or whipping cream, or enough to make the dough cohesive
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
1) Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
2) Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly.
3) Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon till evenly distributed.
4) Add ¾ cup of the cream, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it’s crumbly and won’t hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add cream until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
5) Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about ¾" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet.
6) Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
7) Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.
8) Bake the scones for 22 to 24 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Yield: 8 large scones
Baker's tips
•Want to make scones now, freeze and bake later? Make scones up to the point they're on the baking sheet, cut and ready to bake; don't brush them with cream. Freeze, then remove from the sheet, and wrap airtight in a plastic bag. When you're ready to bake, remove however many you want to bake from the freezer, place on a baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
•Make mini-scones: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 5" round. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven till golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; or for about 25 minutes if frozen.
Reviews
08/10/2010
My husband and I divide calories into those that are worth it and those that aren't. These are definitely worth it! I did make a mistake (am just figuring out how to weight ingriedients and use my scale - it is a old-fashioned butcher's one). I read it wrong and put in twice the amount of cheese - did not hurt a thing though!
06/18/2010
These are wonderful! They are pretty easy to make. The hardest part is cooking the bacon.
06/15/2010
This has been a favorite at our house for breakfast for a while now. I entered these scones in our county fair (they do not require original recipes for that category) and they won first place. Definitely a winner recipe!
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your blue ribbon success! Irene @ KAF
06/08/2010
Most delicious thing ever. I baked them for a friend and tasted one just to make sure they turned out well, and my goodness did they. I wanted to eat them all! The instructions were really basic and a lot simpler to follow then some other scone recipes. Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a savory treat.
05/03/2010
Everyone loved these scones!! I've made them several times, I even made the dough and froze it. My daughter takes one out in the morning and bakes it whils she gets ready for school. I've also made them with ham instead of the bacon - still yummy!
04/17/2010
Excellent - Love these scones! The tender texture and flavor combination is perfect. I've had great success with all of KAF and this is another keeper.
02/07/2010
Excellent taste, easy to prepare, and looks exactly like your picture. I used skim milk in place of the heavy cream and it did not seem to affect the recipe in an adverse way.
02/06/2010
My boys (6 of them) absolutely loved these! Very flavorful and hardy! This recipe is added to my all time favorites.
01/21/2010
I submitted a five-star review of this recipe last weekend, which has yet to show up on the site. So I'll repeat myself, as simply as possible: these are AWESOME! I made mine with buttermilk.
01/18/2010
In a word, AWESOME. A perfect scone: crumbly, rough, dry/moist, flavorful, pure taste satisfaction. Made mine with buttermilk instead of cream, since that's what I had on hand, and may never try the cream for fear of being even slighly disappointed. The first batch went way too quickly, so I'm making two more for the freezer (and while my buttermilk is still fresh!).
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