Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Scones

The morning after New Year's Eve pretty much requires a hearty but effortless breakfast -- the kind of breakfast that you can easily throw together after rolling out of bed just past 10 a.m. because let's face it: We're not as young as we used to be and staying up past midnight is getting more and more difficult. That lost sleep time needs to be made up somewhere, and I doubt many of us are willing to jump out of bed at 7 a.m. to start preparing an extravagant breakfast.

These scones are both effortless and filling, and they're also a complete breakfast in handheld form so they're perfect for a sleepy morning. Think of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich that's neither greasy nor messy but fluffy and light. Serve the scones with a half of a grapefruit or a little fruit salad on the side, and you'll have one satisfying meal.

The original recipe is from The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide and can be found on Leite's Culinaria. I stayed pretty true to the recipe when I made these (though I did cook the eggs in bacon grease to add flavor and I simplified the process a little), but I have a few changes I would make if I made them again. First, the recipe makes six scones but only calls for three pieces of bacon. Maybe it's just me, but I'd up this to six pieces, so there's one piece of bacon per serving. The recipe also calls for only two scrambled eggs, which is such a small amount of egg per serving. I'd scramble at least three eggs next time. I think the dough can handle a little more egg and bacon.

The recipe also only calls for two ounces of shredded cheddar, and I used three ounces, but I'd even up this to four next time. (Clearly, I'm looking for a very indulgent, but simple, breakfast.) And lastly, the scones are made with heavy cream, and I can't help wondering how they'd be with buttermilk because their texture sort of reminded me of buttermilk biscuits. I'll be testing that out soon.

Oh, and if you're having more than six guests, the scones are definitely big enough to cut in half before baking. That way you'll end up with 12 smaller scones. This is also a good option if you're doing more of a potluck brunch and want to be able to pair the scones with a bunch of other dishes. Either way, you're in for a hearty, satisfying breakfast if you make these.

Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Scones (adapted from The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide)
Makes 6 large scones

Ingredients

3 to 6 strips bacon (use more or less depending how much you love bacon)
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
5 to 6 eggs (2 to 3 eggs will be used for the scrambled egg filling; 3 will be used raw)
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 to 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with Silpat mat.

In medium skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp.

Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, crumble bacon.

Meanwhile, lightly scramble 2 to 3 eggs in small bowl. Once bacon has been removed from pan (leave 1 to 2 tablespoons grease in pan for flavor), lower heat to medium, melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan, and cook eggs. (I cooked them omelet style so I had a thin sheet of eggs, but you can just scramble them if you prefer.) Turn off heat, and break eggs into 1-inch or smaller pieces using spoon or spatula. Set aside.

Pulse flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl of food processor just until combined. Cut remaining 5 tablespoons butter in pieces, add to flour mixture, and pulse to combine. Mix heavy cream and 2 raw eggs together in measuring cup, and pour over flour mixture. Process until mixture comes together.

Dump mixture into medium bowl. Fold in bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese using hands (trust me, I snapped the spatula that came with my food processor while trying to fold the mixture). Try not to overwork the mixture (we're going for fluffy here).

Transfer dough to Silpat mat, and pat into 12- by 4-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch high.

Using bench scraper, cut dough into three 4-inch squares. Cut each square on diagonal to form 6 triangles. Space triangles about 1 inch apart on Silpat mat, using bench scraper to lift and move them.

Beat remaining 1 raw egg with 2 tablespoons water. Brush scones with egg wash.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm. (Scones are best warm out of the oven, but they can be cooled, wrapped in plastic, and stored in refrigerator. Rewarm in oven or toaster oven.)

What will you be eating for breakfast on New Year's Day?