Cheesy Bacon Scones

I used to make scones on a weekly basis, but since we started limiting refined carbs in our diets we haven’t been making them as often. On days when I want to indulge, I make a few tweaks to my old recipes so they are a little healthier. First, I usually make savory scones instead of sweet ones, so there is no sugar in this recipe. Second, I use as many organic ingredients as possible to reduce the amount of pesticides in the dish. And third, I replace as much of the flour in the recipe with almond flour as possible without compromising on taste. For this recipe, you need 3 cups of flour total, and I think it tastes amazing when I use 1 cup of almond flour and 2 cups of all-purpose flour.

Why does this matter?

I try to limit refined flours because refined flours are high in carbs and can lead to big blood sugar spikes and crashes (which leave me tired and hungry an hour after my meal). Regular all-purpose flour has an average of 92 grams of carbs in 1 cup, versus almond flour has 24 grams of carbs in 1 cup. So by substituting almond flour for a portion of all-purpose flour, you can drastically reduce the carbs in your scone while keeping the same great taste. Is this suddenly a superfood? No, it’s still a carb-y scone, but by cutting the carbs by about 25% I find it really helps me avoid that post-carb energy slump so I feel great for the rest of my day. Subbing in almond flour for a portion of all-purpose flour is a great hack for making lots of baked goods a little healthier – as it works in cookies, muffins, etc! 

For a casual breakfast, I usually serve scones alongside scrambled eggs and a small green salad with balsamic vinaigrette for a more balanced breakfast. 

Cheesy Bacon Scones 

Makes 12 scones

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsps freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 cup very cold unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded (parmesan, gouda and cheddar all work well!)
• 1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 eggs

Method: 

1. Heat oven to 425°F. line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
2. In large bowl, mix almond and regular flour, baking powder, black pepper, salt and cayenne. Use a cheese grater to grate the cold stick of butter, and add butter to the flour mixture, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese, bacon and shallot.
3. In small bowl, combine milk and vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes, and it should have turned to buttermilk.  And one egg and whisk together. Stir buttermilk mixture into crumb mixture; mix with floured hands until dough forms a ball. For fluffy scones, handle dough as little as possible.
4. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Divide in two and pat each ball into a 6-inch round; cut into 6 wedges. Place wedges 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Beat the second egg and brush the scones with the egg mixture. 
5. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy! 

Tip: These scones are even better if you make the dough ahead of time and chill the rounds (without the egg wash) in the fridge before baking. You can chill for one hour or up to a day and this makes them a great option for entertaining since you can make them in advance, then pull the dough out of the fridge and pop them in the oven right before your event.