Monday, July 9, 2012

Maple-y Bacon-y Brown Sugar-y Scones

My Sweet Jean,

I hope that you had a wonderful birthday weekend running around NYC. While you were off celebrating, I was baking and eating the weekend away with the hubs. Who needs to try to lose baby weight when there are things to bake and eat like Maple Bacon Scones!!!! 

bacon scones

That's right... MAPLE.... BACON.... SCONES!!!!! 
Can you taste through the computer?
I think that mine and Dave's favorite meal has to brunch. So every weekend, or more like Friday night, the conversation of what we will eat for weekend brunch comes up. Well Dave wanted homemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy, and of course, this is a great suggestion. However, I've made that for him, and wanted to make him something new that I hadn't made for him before. So I got on the old trusty internet, typed in what I wanted, and I didn't need to look any further than How Sweet It Is to find EXACTLY what i was looking for!! So here goes:


So you've got a few options as far as the bacon goes. You can use regular bacon and cook it up as you normally would... OR you can make candied bacon. OBVIOUSLY I highly recommend candied bacon. Yes it's an addition step, but it is easy and beyond rewarding. Trust me on this! Before you start, you'll want to line a baking sheet with foil and use a grill rack or cooling rack on top, as pictured above.


Next mix about half a cup brown sugar with a little cinnamon, and coat five to six strips of bacon for the recipe. (You'll also want to coat a few extra just to have as some noshing material!) 
NOTE: using this dish wasn't the best option for coating. After the first piece I transferred the brown sugar mixture to a regular flat plate. But hey, this picture is pretty cute! I love my owl measuring cups! 
After bacon is coated, just pop in the oven at 350º for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness of bacon.


Meanwhile, gather your ingredients!!! 


Mix together all dry ingredients. Flour, brown sugar, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then cube your COLD butter. You want your butter cold, just as you would when making a pie crust. Work butter with your hands til you get a course cornmeal like consistency. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla til coated, then get in there with your hands again. I had to add in a little more buttermilk, like 2 extra TBLS to get it the right stickiness to hold together. 


By now your bacon should be done, and cooled enough to do a nice chop. Up the oven heat to 425º. Oh hey, how are those extra pieces I told you to make up!? You're welcome! 


Fold in bacon. Remove to a floured surface and give a few good kneads.


Separate into two disc and press into about 7 inch diameter circles. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with either coarse sugar or brown sugar.


Cut each disc into 8ths and place on a foil lined baking sheet.


That's pretty much all there is to it!! Let that deliciousness bake for 12-15 minutes and remove. While it's cooking go ahead and make your maple glaze, which is just confectioners sugar and maple syrup with a splash of vanilla!


Top with glaze... and dig in!!
This recipe makes 16 scones! I should have read ahead before I made it. Feel free to cut in half. There are about 9 Blackhawk pilots and crew chiefs reaping the benefits of my labor today. I made Dave take them to work (like I do with everything I make!) so they aren't here taunting me, and my Jillian Michael's and Pop Physique  workouts stand a better change!!




MAPLE BACON BROWN SUGAR SCONES
makes 16 scones

3 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cups cold butter
1 cup buttermilk (I used 2 more TBLS)
1 teaspoon vanilla
5-6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
(if you are going to make candied bacon you will need another 1/2 cup of brown sugar and a little cinnamon)
Melted butter and coarse or brown sugar for topping


For candied bacon, preheat oven to 350º
Mix together 1/2 brown sugar and cinnamon to taste. Coat bacon and place on a grilling rack over a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on bacon thickness.

Once bacon is done, let cool a bit and chop into crumbles. 
Turn oven up to 425º for the scones.

 Combine dry ingredients.
 Cut in butter, with hands, until it forms coarse crumbs. 
Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. 
Fold in bacon crumbles. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.
Divide in half and pat into 7 inch round circles
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges.
Bake at 425º for 12-14 minutes. Top with maple glaze.



MAPLE GLAZE

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
drop of water
1 cup powdered sugar

Combine syrup, vanilla and powdered sugar and stir until combined. 
Based on the consistency of the glaze, add water one drop at a time and stir 
Continue to stir until desired consistency is reached. 


Hope you make these soon!!! ENJOY!!!!

Love ya,
Geneva

1 comment:

  1. Yummy! I will be making these!! So glad you started a blog! Great job!

    ReplyDelete