Bacon Peanut Butter Swirled Scones with Chocolate Drizzle

Rethink your scones with a savory twist. After one bite, these bacon peanut butter scones will have you reaching for more.

FOOTBALL!!! AAaaAaAAaaHH!! Ok, I’m not quite freaking out that much just yet but that’s only because Ohio State’s first game isn’t until Monday! That doesn’t mean I won’t be enjoying all the other games that are debuting today, particularly Wisconsin versus Alabama. It also won’t stop me from starting up #PBChocSat! Oh yea you get a double dose this week because 1) it’s Saturday college football time, and 2) we have a game on Monday.

To kick of this year’s #PBChocSat, I invited some unusual suspects that go by the names of bacon and cayenne. You see, today also happens to be International Bacon Day! And the cayenne? Well, I threw that in there just to have fun. The cayenne is rubbed onto the bacon before cooking and adds only a subtle hint of spice to these sweet yet savory scones. Do you have any jazzy ways to cook with bacon?

This crazy concoction was actually inspired by the peanut butter bacon burger served with a malted chocolate milkshake, a meal that I love so dearly. The bacon is mixed into the scone dough which gets rolled out, spread with peanut butter, and rolled back up just like cinnamon rolls. But here’s where it gets a little different because instead of slicing them into rounds to lay on their sides, you cut the log into wedges (you know, scones shapes) and brush with some reserved bacon fat of course. The result is a perfect scone with bits of bacon and a swirl of peanut butter in the middle.

Oh wait the chocolate, sorry I almost forgot the second part of #PBChocSat! To finish these scones off, they are topped with a drizzle of chocolate. This glaze is one of my favorite recipes because it just semisweet chocolate that has been melted into peanut butter. I could eat that stuff with a spoon! But if you can resist and manage to get some on top of your scones, it is the perfect final touch. Unless of course you have some extra bacon lying around and want to crumble that on top. I won’t judge. Except maybe to be shocked that you had “extra” bacon lying around and didn’t eat it first.

Need more inspiration for your next recipe? Food.com or AllRecipes.com are great resources.

One year ago: Roasted Garlic Kale Hummus

Two years ago: No-Bake Funfettinutter Granola Bars

Three years ago: Blue Cheese Ball

BACON PEANUT BUTTER SWIRLED SCONES WITH CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Makes 4 large or 8 regular

Ingredients:

SCONES

4 strips of bacon

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

Pinch salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp milk

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, warmed

GLAZE

1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 oz. semisweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.
2. Sprinkle cayenne over bacon slices and rub. Place in a medium skillet and set to medium-high heat. Cook bacon until crispy, remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Reserve bacon grease and crumble once cooled.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, and cut in with a pastry cutter or two forks until it looks like like semi-wet, clumpy sand. Set bowl aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, Greek yogurt, and milk until smooth. Pour wet mixture over dry, and fold until just combined. Don’t overmix.
5. Sprinkle flour over a clean work surface. Knead dough and gently roll into an 8×16-inch rectangle. Spread peanut butter evenly over the entire surface then roll up onto itself, starting at the long edge. Slice the log into 8 equal-sized wedges (or 4 for large scones). Transfer to prepared baking sheet and brush with reserved bacon grease.
6. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until very lightly golden and cooked through. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
7. Allow to cool on baking tray for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
8. While the scones cool, make the glaze. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate together on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Drizzle over scones and let sit for 10 minutes before serving or storing.

Source: Adapted from my Berry Cacao Nib Scone Cakes.

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