Bacon + Date Scones

Did someone say bacon??

I love when I’m greeted at the mailbox by the newest Bon Appetit magazine. Each month a few dishes just jump off the page at me, while others need revisiting before interest develops. In the case of these Bacon + Date Scones, not only did they catch my immediate attention, but they were singing the hallelujah chorus. I tried to put them out of my mind, I did. I mean, nothing good can come from all that bacon and butter. Nothing that involves fitting into my jeans anyway. But as the days ticked by, these scones became a bona fide obsession. So I decided to meet the situation head on – see if they really measured up. Fantasy is often better than reality, right?

Well, turns out they are indeed all that AND a bag of chips. Think of them as your new secret weapon… baking them for the guy in your life practically guarantees a proposal or vow renewal.

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10 oz. thick cut bacon slices (I used 10 slices Maple Smoked)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup chopped pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter
2/3 cup buttermilk
raw/turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in skillet or oven until cooked through but still tender and not crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain + cool. Reserve bacon drippings. Whisk dry ingredients together in large bowl. Coarsely chop cooled bacon. Add bacon + dates to mixture and toss to coat. Coarsely grate butter into mixture. Use fork to stir in butter. Add buttermilk and stir until large clumps form. Using hands, knead mixture briefly in bowl until dough forms. Transfer dough to floured work surface and pat into 8 inch round. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Cut into 8 wedges, place on parchment lined baking sheet. Use pastry brush to brush each scone with reserved bacon drippings and then sprinkle each with turbinado sugar. Bake until golden brown and center comes out clean, 16-18 minutes. Serve warm or room temp. Note: it is essential to work the dough as little as possible, if there are streaks of unincorporated butter or flour, that’s fine.

Tagged as: bacon, Bon Appetit, dates, scones