Sweet And Salty Bacon Scones With Maple Glaze Recipe

Scones have somewhat of a reputation for being dry, crumbly, and not all too appetizing, but these sweet and salty bacon scones with a maple glaze are here to shake things up. "I think these are one of the best things I've ever made," recipe developer Jessica Morone raves, adding, "The combination of the sweetness of the maple with the salty bacon is so perfect."

You'll find plenty of bacon and maple flavor packed into the scones themselves as well as in the glaze — a glaze so good that it happens to be Morone's favorite part of the whole pastry. "I want to put this on other things, like donuts or a cake because it's just really yummy," she remarks. Of course, there's really no better companion for a sweet and sticky glaze than a not-too-sweet scone; together, the two make for a treat that is just begging to pair with your morning cup of joe. 

For the scones themselves, you'll need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cold butter (grated), an egg, milk, bacon bits, and a special weapon: maple extract. "The special ingredient is the maple extract, it's my favorite extract in general because it gives you a lot of maple flavor," Morone explains. "And the flavor is not diluted the way it would be if you just used maple syrup." So, if you only have syrup on hand you can swap that in, but Morone highly recommends using the extract to yield as much flavor as possible.

Speaking of maple flavor, you'll need a few more ingredients for the maple glaze. Powdered sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, maple extract, and some more bacon bits will round out the list.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined.

Add the grated butter to the bowl and mix together until well incorporated.

In a separate medium bowl whisk together the egg, milk, and maple extract.

Add the wet ingredients and the bacon bits into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix together until incorporated.

Add the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use floured hands to form a round circle, about ½" thick.

Use a knife to cut the dough into 8 equal sized scones.

Place the scones onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown.

While the scones are baking, in a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, and make extract until smooth.

Once the scones are baked and cooled until you can handle them, dip the tops of the scones in the maple glaze until coated.

Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits over the glazed scones. Serve warm or at room temperature.

There aren't too many mistakes that you might make with these scones, though Morone does highlight certain pitfalls to look out for in the baking process. "There is only really one thing to look out for," she says, "If the dough seems so dry in step 5 that it just won't hold together, then add milk a teaspoon at a time until it gets to the right consistency." Be sure to add additional milk slowly, and as soon as you hit that desired consistency, be sure not to add more liquid.

On the other hand, there's a chance your dough will be too wet. "If it's so wet that the dough is sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time until you can handle the dough without it sticking to your hands," Morone advises. Again, add in small amounts and stop as soon as you've got the perfect scone dough.

There's no wrong time to enjoy these sweet and salty bacon scones with maple glaze, though Morone has a few serving suggestions for optimal enjoyment. "Any occasion is a good occasion to serve these, they would be great for a weekend brunch, or you could make them ahead of time and eat them during the week for breakfast," she says.

Of course, if you're the type of person who doesn't want to enjoy a scone all on its own, then you might be looking for pairing options. "These would be great to eat for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea on the side, or even just a glass of milk," Morone suggests. And, because these scones have that perfectly sweet, maple-infused glaze on top, she notes that "You don't need to spread anything else on these or dip them in anything."

In case you're not prepared to eat eight scones in one sitting, then you might be looking for ways to store leftover pastries, as you're certainly not going to want to toss these out. Luckily, Morone notes, "You can keep these at room temperature in an airtight container for about 2 days," and, "You can also refrigerate these for up to a week." Because these scones store well for up to a week, there's also the opportunity to make them in advance and enjoy them throughout the week.

There's also an option to freeze these scones for up to 3 months, though pause on the glaze if you do opt to go the freezer route. "If you are freezing them, I would freeze them without the glaze on them," she explains. "You can freeze them for up to 3 months, then reheat them in the oven and add the glaze then."