Name: Easy Cheese and Bacon Scones Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 2 rashers smoked back bacon (cut into 0.5 cm pieces); 300 grams plain flour (sifted); 2 tsp baking powder; 0.25 tsp Shetland sea salt; 60 grams butter; 30 grams mature cheddar cheese (plus extra to sprinkle on top); 100 grams soured cream; 1 tsp fresh red chilli (finely chopped); 3 small spring onions (finely chopped); 3-4 tbsp full fat milk; 1 free-range egg (beaten, to glaze)

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Crispy bacon bits, grated mature Cheddar cheese, finely chopped spring onion, soured cream, and red chili make these savoury cheese and bacon scones perfect for corn chowder.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Image of cheese and bacon scones in front of a bowl of creamy corn chowder.

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]

Getting creative with leftovers
How to make perfectly risen scones
What you’ll need for these cheese and bacon scones
How to make these easy cheese and bacon scones
Other scone recipes you might like
Easy Cheese and Bacon Scones Recipe
Other recipes you might like

Getting creative with leftovers

My eldest son works in a local cafe. This means that sometimes, he comes home from work at the end of the day with leftover food that hasn’t been sold. Soups, scones and muffins usually. Perks of the job, we like to think, and we’ll miss these little treats when he moves out next week (yes, my eldest baby is moving into his own house – let the empty nest syndrome commence!).

A few weeks ago, he came home with a rather large tub of leftover corn chowder, which I portioned into servings and froze for later use.

Corn chowder, as filling as it is, isn’t a complete meal unless served with a carbohydrate side, and so these bacon and cheese scones were created.

Inspiration was drawn from bits and bobs I found in the fridge and freezer: a couple of rashers of bacon, leftover soured cream from taco night, a few sad spring onions at the bottom of the vegetable crisper, and, as an afterthought, a little bit of fresh red chilli pepper for a kick. I confess I’m rather proud of these scones; they taste fantastic!

Top down image of a bowl of corn chowder with cheese and bacon scones.

How to make perfectly risen scones

As an aside, I feel I ought to mention one of my not-so-secret tricks to getting perfectly risen scones (and bread, and pizza with the best crispy base) – my pizza steel.

I was sent a pizza steel for review over a year ago, and I confess it’s since become one of the most used items in my kitchen. The Pizza Steel is a large, indestructible, rectangular piece of steel that stores heat energy.

Pop it into the oven as it preheats, and then use a pizza peel to slide your scones, bread or pizza directly onto the preheated pizza steel (on a piece of baking paper). The hot base means your scones will cook from the bottom to the top, rising wonderfully and taking less time overall. It’s completely revolutionised my home baking.

Since writing this, I have purchased a compact iron baking sheet from the Netherton Foundry, which is a lot easier (and lighter) to use than a Pizza Steel.

Perfect scones every time.

What you’ll need for these cheese and bacon scones

2 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into 0.5 cm pieces
300 grams of plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
0.25 tsp Shetland sea salt
60 grams butter
30 grams mature cheddar cheese, plus extra to sprinkle on top
100 grams of soured cream
1 tsp fresh red chilli, finely chopped
3 small spring onions finely chopped
3-4 tbsp full-fat milk
1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze

Top down photo of a bowl of corn chowder with a cut open unbuttered scone next to it, showing all the bits of bacon and spring onion inside.

How to make these easy cheese and bacon scones

Fry your bacon. Pop a non-stick pan onto your hob and put the bacon into it, cut into small half-centimetre-sized pieces, while it’s still cold. As the pan heats, the bacon fat will melt, and you’ll end up with gorgeously crisp bacon bits. Drain on a paper towel.
Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and rub the butter and grated cheese into it until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the soured cream, bacon, chopped chilli, spring onion, and a little milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, adding enough milk to make a soft, pliable dough.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of one inch and cut with a 2.5-inch fluted cutter.
Brush the scones with beaten egg, sprinkle with a bit of extra grated cheese and bake in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes.

Close up image of a cheese and bacon scone.

Other scone recipes you might like

If these scones aren’t quite what you’re looking for you might be interested in Camilla’s cheese, ham & potato scones. Claire makes wild garlic tattie scones (as an aside, did you know wild garlic grows here in Shetland? You can find it in the lower wooded area in Kergord!). Jacqueline’s cheese scones might be more to your liking. There’s also Grace’s cheese scones with Grana Padano and Prosciutto di San Daniele. Janice has a recipe for cheese and chive scones with marjoram and marigold cream cheese. Helen’s polenta and cheese scones would make a rather fabulous corn chowder accompaniment. Lastly, Choclette has created these brie and chive scones with spelt flour.

Recipe Difficulty Levels

Easy

Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.

Moderate

Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.

Challenging

Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.