My local coffee shop serves bacon-and-cheddar scones, but they’re heavy and dry. I wanted a scone that tasted like breakfast, but still had the light texture of a biscuit. So I added cheese and bacon to a basic biscuit recipe, along with black pepper and chives. The results are delicate and savory.

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or by rubbing the mixture quickly between your fingers) until mixture is pale yellow and crumbly. Stir in cheese, chives, and bacon.
3. Add 1 cup of the buttermilk to the flour mixture. Use a spoon to mix just until all ingredients are incorporated. If your dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding a little at a time, until dough can be formed into a ball. Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a lighter-textured scone.
4. Remove dough from bowl and place it on a lightly floured flat surface. Pat dough and flatten it into a circle about 1-inch thick (the circle will be about 8 to 10 inches wide). Use a biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut the dough in circles, or cut dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges for a traditional scone shape.
5. Whisk egg and water (or cream) in a small bowl. Brush each wedge with egg wash. Divide scones between two lightly greased or Silpat-lined baking sheets and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.