Bacon-Cheddar-Chive Scones
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend either works fine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons cold butter
- 1 cup very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese grated works well
- 1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced scallion tops the green part
- 1/2 pound bacon cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)* see text above
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream or enough to make the dough cohesive
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle to upper third. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
- Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon until evenly distributed.
- Add 3/4 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.
- Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
- Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.
- Bake the scones in the middle or upper third of the oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan.If they brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
- Refrigerate any leftover scones, well wrapped, for several days; reheat before serving. Freeze for longer storage.
Notes
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.