The creation of Maple-Bacon scones

A few days ago, I got THE kitchen appliance, the item many home cooks dream about: a KitchenAid Stand Mixer.  In order to properly welcome the newest addition to the family, I needed to make something deliciously epic.  What did I make you ask?  Maple-Bacon scones.

 My med school friends are obsessed with all things bacon.  Here's a sampling of the bacon obsession: maple-bacon donuts delivered from Voodoo Donuts in Portland, bacon crusted burgers from our very own Dad's Kitchen in Sacramento (featured on Foodnetwork!), maple bacon cupcakes (a Sunday treat from a local cupcake shop), and a special bacon patty on top of cheeseburgers from Hodad's in San Diego (see photos below; the sunset and excitement of the start of our Baja spring break didn't hurt).

Ethan and Alex enjoying their burgers; I'm in the background digging for some fries

So, in honor of my new baby the maple-bacon scone making happened.  They were delicious!  Like all good scones, they were light and fluffy.  Not too sweet, just enough bacon, and the perfect breakfast food with a hot cup of coffee.  I adapted a maple scone recipe from Barefoot Contessa and here it is:

Ingredients:
5 cups of all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
2 T baking powder
2 T granulated sugar
2 t salt
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
4 extra-large eggs lightly beaten
1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water, for egg wash
1 lb cooked bacon (2 strips reserved, the rest chopped small), reserve 2 t bacon grease
1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (for the glaze)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (for the glaze)
1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract (for the glaze)

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.with rack in center. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Blend butter in at the lowest speed, and mix until butter is in pea-size pieces. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, maple syrup, and 4 eggs; mix to combine. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Mix until just blended. Add chopped bacon.  The dough may be sticky.
2.  Place dough on a well-floured surface. Roll dough out to a 3/4- to 1-inch thickness with a well-floured rolling pin (there will be lumps of butter in dough). Cut into desired shape, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3.  Brush tops of scones with egg wash. Bake until tops are crisp and insides are done, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove baking sheet to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
4.  Make the glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, bacon grease, and vanilla. Drizzle each cooled scone with glaze (the warmer the scones are when glazed, the thinner the glaze will be).  Cut reserved bacon strips into desired size and a piece on top of each scone.

For the next batch, I might use 1 cup of whole wheat flour instead of 1 cup of all-purpose flour just to give the scone a little more complexity and additional flavor.  I would also use a heavier maple syrup; the grade A from Trader Joe's was good, but I think the scones could be better.

Don't get me wrong, for a first attempt these were really, really, really good.  I made them the night before, and they definitely tasted amazing the next morning after the flavors sat.  They definitely hit the spot during our 9am required epidemiology lecture.  

Stay tuned for my dining adventures in Baja.  Also, a few pictures were added to my previous post to show the cookie stuffed cookie in all its glory.