Peppery Cheddar Bacon Biscuits

On the blog where this recipe comes from originally, Ezra Pound Cake, there's a serious discussion of what makes a scone a scone or a biscuit a biscuit. I just think this is a biscuit. It's very good if you like pepper! And I'm sure it would be just as good if you used less pepper or switched it for another spice. I would HIGHLY recommend making these biscuits/scones, slicing one in half, filling it with a fried or poached egg and eating it for breakfast. Or any time of day.

I baked them a lot longer than the recipe said, just because I forgot they were still in the oven. I was making mac & cheese for the grandparents at the same time, and I'm really not sure how long they were in the oven, baking at 400. (It was the butternut squash mac I posted about except with pumpkin.) But it worked out fine!

3 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2-3 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or any cheese)

4 green onions, chopped

8-10 slices bacon, cooked & chopped into 1 inch pieces

3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

2 tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour-butter bits the size of peas. Stir in the cheese until just blended. Add the green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup buttermilk. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too dry to hold together, add the remaining buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough can be formed into a ball. Stir as little as possible to ensure a light-textured scone.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and pat it into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle about 8 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges. 

Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush each wedge with the egg wash. Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.