Bacon, Cheese & Scallion Scones

Social distancing is officially the phrase of the week, and I’m doing everything I can to make my extended time at home as cozy and comforting as possible. My favourite local bakery is closed for the foreseeable future, so I stocked up on baking supplies and decided to whip up these scones with some leftover bacon, cheese ends, and scallions that I had in the fridge for a yummy weekend breakfast.

While bacon and cheese is a delicious and classic combo, you could sub in so many tasty pantry ingredients into these scones – pickled jalapeños, black olives, any kind of cheese, dried herbs like rosemary and thyme, the options are endless! Plus, you can freeze them and just warm them up for a quick weekday breakfast too.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup cold butter, grated
• 1 cup coarsely grated cheese, divided (I used a blend of cheddar and Gouda because I had it in the fridge)
• 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly.
3. Mix in scallions, bacon and 3/4 of the cheese until evenly distributed.
4. Add 3/4 cup of the buttermilk, 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 more buttermilk 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 3/4″ thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
6. Brush the scones with any leftover buttermilk.
7. Bake the scones for 12 minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven and continue to bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
8. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan. Serve warm.