Bacon, Pepper Jack, and Jalapeno Scones

Yield: 10-12 scones (depending on how large you cut them)

Serving Size: 1 scone

Incredibly thick and flavorful scones are loaded with bacon, pepper jack cheese, and diced jalapeno peppers! Moist and crumbly all at once, we love these with eggs, butter, and extra bacon slices. They're also delicious with nothing at all - straight from the pan.

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon, cooked crispy, cooled, and chopped

1-2 small jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped (use 1 for a mild flavor)

3 cups all-purpose flour (be sure not to pack your flour when measuring)

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into cubes

1 cup (4 ounces) grated pepper jack cheese

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika will work, too)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup full-fat plain Greek style yogurt

1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

In a large frying pan over medium-heat cook the bacon until brown and crispy; about 7 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Once it's cool enough to handle, transfer it to a small cutting board and using a sharp knife chop the bacon into bits; set aside. Carefully slice the jalapeno peppers in half vertically and use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds (don't use your bare fingers here). Chop the peppers into small bits; set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt; whisk well to combine. Quickly cut in the butter and cheese; stir in the paprika and pepper. Cover and place bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.

While the dough is chilling...

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F) and set a rack on the upper-middle level. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Once the 15 minutes are up...

Gently stir the Greek yogurt, chopped bacon, and jalapeno peppers into the flour mixture; the dough will be soft, sticky, and shaggy.

Lightly flour your hands, then gather the dough into a ball. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and pat the dough out into a large rectangle approximately 1" inch thick. The dough will look very shaggy - not to worry!

Use a small round biscuit cutter to cut out about 12 scones, reshaping the dough as needed and using scraps to form new rounds of dough. Place the scone cut-outs on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space in between each one for spreading. Brush each scone with a little beaten egg.

Bake the scones for 18- 20 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown on top. Serve at once!

Or just eat them straight off the pan like we do... with runny eggs and extra bacon on the side.

Notes

You can use full-fat sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt if needed. For a less spicy version leave out the black pepper and use only 1 jalapeno pepper.

#jalapeno #scones #cheese #bacon