A Scone Above the Rest

One of my favorite cocktail party appetizers is Bacon-Wrapped, Parmesan-Stuffed Dates. My boss when I lived in LA was the amazing Suzanne Goin and she served them at her restaurant, A.O.C. The kitchen couldn’t make them fast enough because everyone ordered them as soon as they sat down. They’re delicious and I make them a lot now. So when I was thinking of a new way to do my scones, this flavor combination came to mind and we discovered this morning that they are a big crowd pleaser. We had my husband’s Aunt Sally stay the night with us and she loved them. (They’re my go-to breakfast for over night guests) The smokiness of the bacon, the syrupy sweetness of the dates and the richness of the cheese suspended in the buttery scone make such a great marriage – An extremely rich marriage, but a good one.
*Bacon-Parmesan-Date Scones (makes 8)
(*note- these really call for authentic Parmigiano Reggiano instead of domestic parmesan because domestic parm simply isn’t sharp enough. But if you don’t want to spend the money on the good stuff, (and it really is a big price difference), Romano or Asiago cheese work just fine.
–In a food processor, combine 3 cups of AP flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 TB of baking powder and a fat pinch of salt. Pulse to combine. Add 1 1/2 sticks of cold butter, cut into cubes, and pulse again until it looks like wet sand. Very slowly pour into the spout of the mixer about 1/2 cup of cream or milk, or just enough to form a dough, but not so much that it becomes sticky. Then, by hand on a floured surface, mix in 3 slices of bacon that you’ve crisped and broken into small pieces, a handful of grated Parmesan cheese and another handful of chopped dates. Shape into a thick disk. Cut into 8 wedges, as if you’re slicing a pie and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 375* for about 15-17 minutes, or until they become golden brown on top.
(*note-these freeze very well if you wrap tightly in plastic and then again in foil. Simply wrap in foil and reheat in a 350* oven for 10-15mins, or you could even throw them in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds if you’re in a hurry.)