Bacon, Sweetcorn and Mozzarella

Today I made Bacon, Sweetcorn and Mozzarella Scones 


For years I only ever made sweet scones until one day I wanted to make scone but I had no sweet add-ins in the cupboard so I had to look to the fridge. Where I found an array of savory possibilities, three that stood out being  Bacon, Cheese and Sweetcorn. Images of some kind of Pizza/Scone hybrid flashed into my mind. It's from there I started to experiment with creating this savory scone I had imagined. My first batch of these scone used Cheddar Cheese which gave a nice flavour bout I found the texture of the scone were slightly off as when the Cheese melted it didn't set back so the scones were cooled they tasted almost under cooked as the inside was very soft.


The next batch I made I used Grated Mozzarella which gave a much better texture to the scone while also giving a great taste and brought me one step closer to getting that Pizza-y feel. I also tried these Scones with Pepperoni but they didn't crisp up as well as the streaky bacon. The crispy bacon acts as a lovely contrast to the creaminess of the Cheese and sweetness of the Sweetcorn as well as adding great colour contrast to the scones. You can also add in sun-dried tomatoes or slow roasted peppers to add in an extra colour and the sun-dried tomatoes cook down to create almost an sauce within the scone. 

Ingredients:

(Makes 8-10)

• 225g Self-raising Flour - Plus extra for dusting
• 75g Butter - Chilled and cut into cubes
• 120mls Milk
• 100g Streaky Bacon cubes
• 100g Grated Mozzerella
• 80g Sweetcorn
• 8-10 Teaspoons of Onion Chutney
• 1 Egg - Whisked

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the Streaky Bacon till cooked and just starting to crisp.

2. Tip out onto kitchen paper to allow them to cool and drain off any excess fat.

3. Sieve the Flour into a large bowl and add in the cubes of Butter. Rub the Butter between your fingertips into the flour until your mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

4. Add in the Bacon, Cheese and Sweetcorn and mix through to evenly disperse the add-ins. 

5. Gradually add in the milk and mix until you have a soft dough.

6. Turn out onto a floured work surface and lightly knead until the dough comes together. Press down with your hands until you reach a thickness of around 2.5cm. Using a 4cm pastry cutter cut into scones.

7. Re-work the trimmings to make the remainder of the scones. Place scone onto prepared tray and brush some beaten egg on top of each scone.

8. Bake in the top of the oven for 12 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

9. To serve, allow to cool slightly then half the scones and place a Teaspoon of Onion Chutney on each scone. 

“Humor keeps us alive. Humor and food. Don't forget food. You can go a week without laughing.”

Coconut and Cranberry Scones

Today I made Coconut and Cranberry Scones. 

Some mornings it's difficult to face the same old bowl of cereal or plain toast, you need a little something special. These little beauties are perfect for those exact mornings. I normally make these guys on a lazy Sunday morning. They also freeze perfectly so you can freeze some of them in a little plastic container and have them in the freezer for mid-week morning emergencies. Most places I go for coffee are limited to just plain or raisin scones which can become tedious when you go for coffee as often as my family does. A number of years ago I started playing around with making scones myself. The regular plain and raisin scones started to bore me. So I started to play around with different ingredients.

These scones are made with a basic scone recipe spiked with Lemon and Lime zest and packed full of Dried Cranberries, Grated White Belgian Chocolate and Desiccated Coconut. The Lemon and Lime Zest really lifts what could be a heavy and boring scone dough. You don't need much sugar in this recipe as the White Chocolate and Dried Cranberries add to the sweetness. The coconut really gives a great texture to the scones. These scones cook out with a crisp and crunchy outside and a marshmallow-y softness on the inside.An extra bonus to these scones, your house will smell like a bakery for the whole day. 

 Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

• 375g All Purpose Flour
• 125g Unsalted Butter
• 70g Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 eggs - Room Temperature
• 120mls Milk
• 100g Dried Cranberries
• 100g Desiccated Coconut
• 60g Grated White Chocolate
• Zest 1 Lemon
• Zest 1 Lime

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone mats.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add in the pinch of salt and the sugar and mix. Make a well in the center of the flour and add in the egg. Whisk in one egg and half the milk and work it through, add in enough milk to bring the mixture into a ball of dough. 

3. Add in the Desiccated Coconut, Grated White Chocolate and Dried Cranberries and work in with your hands until everything is mixed together.

4. When it is brought together turn out on to a floured surface. Work the dough a little so it looks smooth and has no cracks.

5. On your floured surface roll out the mixture till it's 11/2 inches in thickness. Using a cookie cutter cut out your scone shapes. When you have gotten as many out of your dough rework the dough back into a ball and roll out again repeat till you have used all dough. 

6. Place scones onto your baking sheets. Whisk the other egg and brush the top of each scone with the beaten egg. I normally like to sprinkle a little Golden Brown Sugar for an added crunch.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 till golden brown. You can check if the inside of the scones are cooked like you would check if bread is cooked, by turning one scone over and tapping the bottom of it. If it sounds hollow then they are cooked.

8. Leave to cool on the baking trays for 7/8 minutes then transfer to a wire wrack. Serve warm with topping of choice, I like just pure strawberry jam, or jam and cream.

"You'll go Coco-nuts over these"