Bacon-Cheddar Scones

Oh yes you read the title correctly! People say bacon makes everything better and I would have to agree (well for the most part).  I try my hardest not to eat too much bacon, but I love it and its really hard to restrain myself when its around.   Being gluten free one of the hardest things for me is breakfast foods.  I can't eat first thing in the morning so I usually eat at my office.  Lately its been yogurt, but I was craving something else.  Eggs are good but I don't always want to make them before work and then put them in a container to heat up a little later on. I'm always on the hung for breakfast type recipes.  I need to build my recipe bank with more of these of recipes.

So I did some searching online for some gluten free recipes.  Even though its not gluten free I found a recipe online for these Bacon Cheddar Scones (check out this blog - Buns In My Oven for step by step photos and the non-gluten free version!!!) scones and tried to create them to the gluten free recipe that I had posted on here.  They just came out of the oven and they look, smell and taste fantastic!  You really have to try these!

Gluten Free Bacon-Cheddar Scones- (adapted from Bun in my oven's Bacon Cheddar Scones)

Ingredients:
3 C. gluten-free flour mix (see below)

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 tsp salt

8 slices of bacon (cooked and chopped or crumbled)

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced thin

6 oz cold butter cut into small cubes

1 C. milk (or gluten-free soy milk) mixed with 4 T. vinegar–I used apple cider vinegar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons water

Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (mix together and store in fridge):
1 1/4 C. brown rice flour
1 1/4 C. white rice flour
1 C. tapioca flour
1 C. sweet rice flour (also known at Mochiko)
2 scant tsp. xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with a Silpat sheet. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.  Mix until blended well.  Add butter and keep mixing with your hands until it is crumbly and your butter is in small pea size pieces.  You can also use a pastry cutter or two knives. Add the cheese and mix until well blended.

Slowly pour in the milk mixture–do this carefully, because you might not need it all. I used about 7/8s of the milk. The dough should be just barely wet. Use your hands to carefully mix in the last bits of flour. The dough should be extremely light and fluffy. Handle carefully.

Turn out only a floured board.  I use tapioca flour to lightly flour a large cutting board and lightly press out the ball of dough until it is about 1/2 in thickness (you can also follow the original recipe and use a rolling pin and cut the scones according to Jeanne’s instructions).  Cut in half and depending on how many scones you want to make cut each half in third or quarters.  Place the scones on the baking sheet lined with the Silpat sheet.

In a small bowl beat egg and water together.  Lightly brush the tops of the scones and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool on a rack and enjoy warm!

Cranberry Nut Scones

I adapted this recipe that I found on the Four Chickens Blog.  I had been searching for something to bake today and went back to her blog to see if I could find a recipe to use with her Gluten Free Flour Mix (see recipe below) and sure enough I found one.

I took her basic recipe and added a few things to it: some dried cranberries, chopped pecans and lemon zest.

Cranberry Nut Scones

ngredients:
3 C. gluten-free flour mix (see below)

1/3 C. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 C. copped pecans

The zest of two small lemons or one large lemon

1/4 C. (or 1/2 C.) dried cranberries

6 oz cold butter (or dairy-free butter substitute--I used Earth Balance)

1 C. milk (or gluten-free soy milk) mixed with 4 T. vinegar--I used apple cider vinegar

Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (mix together and store in fridge):
1 1/4 C. brown rice flour
1 1/4 C. white rice flour
1 C. tapioca flour
1 C. sweet rice flour (also known at Mochiko)
2 scant tsp. xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with a Silpat sheet.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.



Add the cold butter pieces and using your fingers, (a pastry blender, or two knives), work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Don't worry about the larger nubs of butter--these add to the scones' flakiness.  Add in the cranberries, pecans and lemon zest.  Mix well.



Slowly pour in the milk mixture--do this carefully, because you might not need it all. I used about 7/8s of the milk. The dough should be just barely wet. Use your hands to carefully mix in the last bits of flour. The dough should be extremely light and fluffy. Handle carefully.



Turn out only a floured board.  I use tapioca flour to lightly flour a large cutting board and lightly press out the ball of dough until it is about 1/2 in thickness (you can also follow the original recipe and use a rolling pin and cut the scones according to Jeanne's instructions).  Cut in half and depending on how many scones you want to make cut each half in third or quarters.  Place the scones on the baking sheet lined with the Silpat sheet.  Lightly sprinkle each scone with sugar (if you have raw sugar use that, if not, regular white sugar will work just fine)







Bake the scones for 17-20 minutes. They are done when they are lightly golden on the top. Cool briefly (or as long as you can stand it before devouring them).



Thanks Jeanne for another awesome recipe!