Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Scones: A Man's Scone*

(*giggle-as soon as this woman makes them for him).

The Dev's has this unsettling habit of not giving me any feedback on something until I try something else and that's when tells me how he felt about the first thing. I guess he saves all his timing for his clients--or that's what I tell myself because as an insecure person I find it terribly annoying.


So when I woke him one morning last week with a fresh cup of hot coffee and a steaming scone to try for this post, I certainly wasn't thinking about the last time I had made a batch of buttermilk scones (as I usually make fresh cream scones-all buttery and decadent). In fact, I probably couldn't tell you how long ago I had made that batch, but I'm willing to bet it was before me lived here. He remembered and all his praise went to that batch. Party pooper.


The scones he was thinking of came from a book I've used the heck out of ever since I bought it way way back in 2005. It doesn't seem like it would be all that useful, looking at the cover but--of my goodness!--I have gotten my money out of that baby. If you can get your hands on a copy of Rebecca Rather's The Pastry Queen, you should. When I am still using a book years after purchase, I feel comfortable recommending them to others.



You'll want to preheat that oven of yours to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

Next, you'll need to cook off about a pound of bacon, nice and crispy (oh that every recipe started this way!)...the original recipe says "10 slices of bacon." I just cook off the pound package and eat a couple of pieces for quality control...mine is a hard job.

Ok, while your bacon cools and drains, prepare the rest of the recipe accordingly:

In a mixing bowl, blend together

3 cups of AP flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (if you prefer, use a coarser grind or add more pepper)
4 green onions, chopped or 2 tsp dried chives (or you can add diced jalapenos instead)









To this, add

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, diced

Blend in the butter until you have pea-sized chunks before adding in


1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
the bacon, rough chopped










Blend together until all are covered in flour evenly before adding

3/4 to 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk--add the first amount and pour in any extra depending on how dry the dough may seem....just try not to add too much.



Scrape the bowl out on your bake sheet and shape either into a large round, divided into 8-10 scones OR  shape into a rectangle, divide in half, then half again, then into triangles.



Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes--golden and done on the inside. Let cool ( at least a little) before cutting and serving. I don't think I have to sell you on the fact that these are fantastic hot, with a mug of joe the way you like it (not a girly cup of coffee with foam or syrups, trust me--you need a plain ol' decent cup of joe).

 I apologize I don't have a picture of the finished product--can I just say that they were, um, well-received?

*A note to some of you who want to try scones but are afraid you might be overrun by this new form of breakfast/tea time delight (you know who you are), scones freeze beautifully-either raw or already baked and can be retrieved at your leisure to be baked or warmed through.