Peppered Bacon And Cheese Scones Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon baking powder2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 cup cold butter, cubed1-1/2 cups shredded Gouda cheese4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled1 shallot, finely chopped1 large egg, room temperature1 cup buttermilk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk the first 5 ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese, bacon and shallot.

In a small bowl, whisk egg and buttermilk until blended; reserve 1 tablespoon mixture for brushing scones. Stir remaining mixture into crumb mixture just until moistened.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10 times. Pat dough into an 8-in. circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges on a greased baking sheet. Brush with reserved buttermilk mixture.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.