Advent Day 20: Savory Scones

Interestingly, there is only one chapter in the Bible that mentions "savory" food, or food that is pleasant to smell and taste, but is not sweet.  That chapter is Genesis 27, in which Jacob fools his father into thinking he is Esau, and receives the blessing meant for the eldest son.  Now, while we can legitimately look at this as Jacob stealing Esau's birthright, remember that Esau had actually sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of food in an earlier chapter.  Jacob was just collecting his due from his unsuspecting father - with the help of his mother, Rebekah. 

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father say to your brother Esau, Bring me game, and prepare for me savory food to eat, that I may bless you before the Lord before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you. Go to the flock, and get me two choice kids, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; and you shall take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” (Genesis 27:6-10)

Note that God has a tendency to bestow grace upon those we might not expect, but we will later very often hear that "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" or "I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."  These were men of great faith, but most definitely men who made mistakes and had to atone for them in their lives.  Jacob chose to banish himself from his family, his country, everything he knew, for almost 20 years.

While Scones are generally known for being sweet, rather than savory, this will give you a different, but pleasant tasting breakfast food.

BACON-CHEDDAR-CHIVE SCONES

(From King Arthur's Flour)

Ingredients

• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 cup very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced scallion tops (the green part)
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream, or enough to make the dough cohesive

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle to upper third. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
3. Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon until evenly distributed.
4. Add 3/4 cup of the cream, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it's crumbly and won't hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add cream until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
5. Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
6. Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.
7. Bake the scones in the middle or upper third of the oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
8. Refrigerate any leftover scones, well wrapped, for several days; reheat before serving. Freeze for longer storage.

Tips and Tricks

1. Want to make scones now, freeze and bake later? Make scones up to the point they're on the baking sheet, cut and ready to bake; don't brush them with cream. Freeze, then remove from the sheet, and wrap airtight in a plastic bag. When you're ready to bake, remove however many you want to bake from the freezer, place on a baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
2. Make mini-scones: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 5" round. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven till golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; or for about 25 minutes if frozen.