Bacon, cheddar, & scallion scones: love at first bite.
Savory scones? Not an oxymoron. Scones don’t have to be made with sugar and spice and everything nice. They can be made with smoky bacon, and cheese, and aromatic scallions… like these.
Reader Kathleen May recently wrote suggesting that I try to duplicate the over-the-top bacon, cheddar & scallion scones sold at the Atlantic Baking Co. (familiarly known as ABC), a bakery in Rockland, Maine, a town midway up Maine’s stunning 3,478-mile coast. Naturally, my competitive urges kicked in. Just as with Berger Cookies (“Baltimore’s Finest”), or Grùyere-Stuffed Cheese Loaves (“Hot Cheese Bread”), where I simply had to figure out how to do it yourself—these scones piqued my imagination.
I explored ABC’s Web site, hoping to find a picture of these wondrous, soon-to-be-imitated scones. No luck, though I did find a short description: “Bacon Cheddar Scallion Scones—Our cream scones with a savory twist.” Ah-HA! Clue #1. They’re made with cream. I also found a picture of their fruit scones, which were made in the traditional wedge shape. So that was Clue #2. But beyond that—well, it was time for my imagination to take over.
As it turned out, I really didn’t need much imagination to make this happy dream come true. A cream-based biscuit dough, with a bit of butter for flakiness. And in the dough, cooked, crumbled bacon; coarsely crumbled cheddar cheese; and snipped chives or scallions. Very straightforward. All I had to do was put the ingredients in a bowl, and they practically threw themselves at one another. It was love at first sight. And later, love at first bite.
I ran the recipe past Kathleen, my virtual judge. She told me she thought they had more filling than ABC’s, but sounded similar. So, anyone who’s up around Maine this summer, if you get to Rockland—ABC is at 351 Main Street. “Come in and enjoy Maine’s wonderful sunny days with the smell of the sea at your back,” says their Web site. I can vouch for that—I lived 5 miles from Rockland for 15 years, and well remember the smell of the sea. Next time I go, I’ll see if I can also pick up the faint scent of bacon scones in the air…
So I’m ready to make these scones on a Saturday morning, and realized I’d forgotten to buy chives or scallions. DARN! Back to the store. For some reason, I decided to take the elevator rather than the stairs, pressed the button, the door swings open… and there’s two pots of chives sitting in the elevator. Really, I kid you not! I figured whoever they belonged to wouldn’t mind me snipping off a few stems. As it turned out, my fellow blogger Susan Reid had brought them in from her garden on Friday, and mistakenly left them in the elevator. Great karma!
Next, the bacon. When you don’t feel like standing over a grease-sputtering frying pan, lay the strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake them instead.
Chunk the cheese, and put it in a food processor. A mini-processor is handy, if you have one.
Process it just enough to make small, irregular chunks. If you don’t have a processor, just grate the cheese coarsely.
Snip the chives or scallions. I use my handy scissors (not kitchen shears; regular scissors) for everything from chunking tomatoes to snipping scallions to slicing pizza to cutting chicken preparatory to stir-frying.
Next, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Cut the butter in sticks…
…and then into cubes.
When the bacon is nicely browned, take it out of the oven.
I had this theory that it might be easy to put together scone dough in a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag. So I put the dry ingredients, plus cheese, chives, and bacon, into the bag.
Like this.
I rolled it all a few times, to flatten/smear the butter cubes and work them into the flour. This method of working butter into flour to make pastry actually has a name: “frissage,” pronounced free-SAHJ. Go ahead, impress your friends with this knowledge next time you’re talking about scones or piecrust.
Next, the cream goes into the bag.
I squashed it around with my hands till it was well combined.
Then dumped everything out on my floured silicone mat.
Was this method easier or better than just doing it all in a bowl? Well, it probably wasn’t easier, though the cleanup was less. But smearing the butter into the flour and working the dough very minimally might have made a more tender scone. Since I didn’t do a side-by-side test I can’t be sure, but it was a fun experiment. Give it a try sometime when you’re making scones or biscuits or piecrust, anything where you work the butter into the flour.
Gather the dough into a smooth ball…
…and flatten it into a 7” circle, about 3/4” thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. You don’t absolutely have to use parchment, but it makes cleanup really easy.
Cut into eight wedges…
…and separate each wedge, so they’re not touching. Then brush with a bit of cream or milk; this will help the scones brown.
Into the oven, and 25 minutes later, golden, bacony-cheesy scones.
These are RICH. A special-occasion treat for sure. Absolutely delightful. Thanks to reader Kathleen May, and the Atlantic Baking Company of Rockland, Maine, for the inspiration!
Read our recipe for Bacon, Cheddar, & Scallion Scones.
Buy vs. Bake
Buy: Bacon, Cheddar & Scallion Scones, Atlantic Baking Company, Rockland, Maine, $2.41 each.
Bake at home: Bacon, Cheddar & Scallion Scones, 64¢ each.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
This looks like a great recipe to make for brunches (one of my favorite ways to entertain!).
July 16th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
PJ
Try this with apple smoked bacon if you can find it….yum. I know what will be for breakfast tomorrow!
July 18th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Can’t wait to try this!
July 18th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Where are the measurments?
Here is a link to the recipe, for anyone who missed it!
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=1216052660380
July 18th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
These look scrumptious! They remind me of Prisnac, a Croation shepherd’s bread my grandmother used to make. It’s an egg bread, so probably much heavier, but it uses the bacon, scallions, and cheese. Sooo good!
July 18th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
As I write this note I am munching on a nice warm sconce from the oven. I added a ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper to the recipe and I used 2 percent sharp cheddar cheese. They taste great, I was having company from Florida and they loved them.
Mike Lib
Worth waiting for, huh, Mike?
- PJH
July 18th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
PJ, it is official… You are trying to kill me
Tonight, while thoughtfully trimming my chives so they wouldn’t go to bloom, I thought “hm, wonder what I’m going to do with these.
Good thing the Stop and Shop is open until 11pm so I can run and get some more cream.
July 19th, 2008 at 10:55 am
This sound wonderful! I’m having brunch in about an hour and am going to try them instead of the muffins I was planning! Thanks for a great idea. I love King Arthur!!
July 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I LOVE this blog and this recipe is the most interesting yet. I can’t wait to try this. The scones will work well with soup (which I can’t bring myself to make when the weather is in the 90s. Thanks PJ! (I especially like how you figure out a recipe from a bakery or restaurant. Your thinking process and trial and error approach are a good education for us bakers.)
July 20th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
My wife says she doesn’t like scones, but I think she will love these. If not, more for me. Aw maybe I will let a neighbor try one.
Hard not to like bacon, onion, and cheese, in my opinion. Add the flaky scone around them - what’s NOT to like?! -PJH
July 20th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Although I’ve been tempted to try some of the recipes here before, I never have, but these looked so good I had to!
Made them for lunch today, and they taste every bit as good as they look.
OK, Ros, now that you’ve dipped your toe into the water… go ahead and dive in! Recipes that actually WORK are our specialty- PJH
July 21st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Do you think that the scones could be made with whole wheat flour rather than with white flour???? They look wonderful!!!!!!
Yes, Josephine, they could. They’ll be drier, denser, and harder. Increase the cream a bit—see how they work out. Good luck! - PJH
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:32 am
I’ve made a lighter version of these scones using KAF whole wheat flour, lean ham and buttermilk mixed with egg whites. Mexican cheese blends and red pepper add a little kick.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I made these scones today…to Rave reviews!! They came out moist, tender and very tasty. Did not have any Cream handy, so used 2% milk and super-sharp Cheddar cheese. They looked just like the pictures! And I love seeing how the recipes are made step-by-step - helps me to know I’m on track. Keep up the good recipes!
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Yum !
I would like to try these with pancetta and chopped basil , maybe even sneak in a little fresh garlic .
July 24th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Hi there!
I just posted a comment, but I think I didn’t submitted!!!
Well anyhow, I sure love all your recipes and tips. I love scones, eventhough I have savory recipes, I have never made them. I’m sure going to try this one, it sure sounds yummy.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:52 am
The recipe looks awesome. It’s definitely going on the list of things to try.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Can I bake with whole wheat pastry flour instead of AP flour?
Try using half WW pastry and half AP the first time you make them, then increase the amount of WW pastry if you like the results.
Happy Baking!
MaryJane @ The Baker’s Hotline
July 27th, 2008 at 7:32 am
I just baked these, and was eating them warm out of the oven… absolutely delicious. The best bites are the ones that have some browned cheese on top. So next time I make them, I think I’ll try sprinkling a little grated cheddar or parmesan on top before baking. Yum!
YEAH - good idea with the cheese on top. You can also try varying the types of cheese - I think a good jalapeno cheddar would be nice, or even a strong, not-too-runny Brie… PJH
July 27th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I made these this morning for breakfast as well! They were easy to make and delicious as well!!! Thanks PJ.
July 27th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Look soooo yummmmmyyyy!
I love savory baked goods, must try these….
2 questions:
- how much flour can be replaced by whole wheat?
- at which point would it be possible to store (freeze?) the dough to make part of it at a later time?
Thanks!
Hi Kay - Replace as much flour as you like, LIKE being the key - the more you replace, the drier and heavier the scones will be. Start with substituting for 1/3 of the white flour; white whole wheat is an “easier” substitute than traditional ww. For freezing, make them up to the point where they’re shaped. Freeze them on the pan, then remove and store tightly wrapped in plastic. When ready to serve, put back on a pan (frozen) and bake, adding maybe 7-10 minutes to the baking time? Not sure about that, you’ll have to experiment. Good luck! - PJH
July 28th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I visited Rockland and the Atlantic Baking Company earlier this summer. Their baked goods are great, yummy. I have to try this recipe so I can bring back memories of their bakery. :>) It looks delish
July 28th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Made this for dinner tonight. A definite winner. One piece was plenty, which means leftovers for tomorrow! Thanks a bunch!
July 29th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Looks great! Since it is corn season here in the midwest, I can’t think of a better addition than some fresh cooked corn kernels added in. Just cook up an extra ear of corn. Haven’t tried it, but can’t imagine that it wouldn’t be good.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Hi PJ,
I made these tonight and they were wonderful. I used all Whole wheat Pastry Flour and they light and fluffy.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
Good idea, Elizabeth. I often forget about whole wheat pastry flour, but it’s a wonderful flour to keep in the freezer and use in pastries like scones. PJH
August 6th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
OOOH, PJ! I am so excited reading your thorough and detailed method for making the famous ABC scones. The photographs are stunning. Thanks to the person who did them. Probably you, clever and creative person that you are. I loved all the comments from your readers. Now I am off to bed to revel in my fifteen minutes of fame, thanks to you.
xoxox Kathleen
Kathleen, you’re the inspiration for this post! Yes, I did the photos… you may remember I did tons of photography while with the Herald, and it’s been nice to pick it up again, although nothing in the kitchen thus far has been QUITE so exciting to photograph as, say, a Camden zoning board meeting…
Now go enjoy an ABC scone for me, OK? -PJ
August 8th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I have KAF all purpose & KAF pastry flour. Can I combine the two instead of using the pastry blend? If so, what ratio do I use? Thanks!
Sure, Gayle - Using half of each should be just fine. Just add enough of the cream to make a cohesive dough. -PJH
August 12th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
i am going to try this soon!!!! its looks and sounds great!!!!
August 13th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
This looks really good.