Many people relate May to Mother's Day and the ending of the school year. Here on the Big Island, May is also when the Lehua blooms. The bees love to gather nectar from these blossoms, but since this nectar is high in glucose, it crystallizes within days of being extracting from a beehive. This makes our job considerably more difficult because we have to bottle the honey immediately after extracting while it is still liquid. Lehua season is a busy time for us, to say the least, and so May has become a time for rest and relaxation (and taking a little vacation).
What better way to relax, then to have a Sunday morning Mother's Day brunch? These sweet and savory honey bacon cheddar scones are a great addition to any breakfast. This recipe was taken from the National Honey Board's recipe page. I highly recommend visiting and trying their other honey recipes.
Honey Bacon Cheddar Scones
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Wilelaiki blossom honey
- 4 – 5 bacon strips, chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Directions:
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add the cold diced butter and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Mix the heavy cream and honey.
- Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the cream mixture into the well, and stir with a fork until the dough comes together. Toss in crisp bacon and cheese.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough into a circle, about 3/4 of an inch thick, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Cut circle into 8 wedges with a sharp knife.
- Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper with a spatula, leaving 1/2-inch space between each wedge. Brush the tops of the wedges lightly with the remaining heavy cream.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Serve warm.
