Embrace the changing season with this tasty Bacon & Manchego Buttermilk Scone Recipe!

Made with a rich, Spanish Manchego cheese, crispy bacon, buttermilk, and chives, this recipe has a gluten-free adaptation, as well as two options for topping: sea salt for an elegant table or additional cheese for a crispy texture and extra flavor.

Curl up with a book next to a cup of tea and the delicious aroma of freshly baked scones.

We recommend serving this Bacon & Manchego Buttermilk Scone Recipe with Mulled Cider Scented Black for the autumn season (scroll past the recipe to see additional tea recommendations).

Bacon & Manchego Buttermilk Scone Recipe with Chives

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Bake Time: 15 – 17 minutes

Makes 12 – 13 scones

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. mustard powder

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cubed and cold
• 4 oz. manchego cheese, grated
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
• 8 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled/chopped
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. buttermilk

• 1 egg + 1 Tbsp. milk
• extra cheese or flaky salt for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mustard powder in a bowl.
3. Process butter into the dry mix (or use a pastry blender or your hands) until mixture forms pea-sized pieces.
4. Add manchego, chives, and bacon to the dry ingredients and mix until evenly distributed.
5. Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork or use your hands to bring the dough together. The dough should be slightly sticky with no dry bits remaining.
6. Roll dough to about 1-inch thickness. Cut out scones with a 2-inch round cutter. You can re-roll the scraps for more scones.
7. Set scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart from each other.
8. Whisk egg and milk together and brush the tops of the scones. Sprinkle scones with extra cheese or flaky salt to your preference.
9. Bake for 15 – 17 minutes, until the tops and bottoms are golden and the center is cooked through.
10. Let cool. Best served freshly baked.

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Adaptation:

Substitute the regular flour with 2 ½ cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour plus ¼ cup cornstarch and 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar, and add ¼ cup more buttermilk than the recipe states. Bake for the same time as regular scones. Best served freshly baked.

Recipe Tips:

• Be careful not to warm the butter with your hands too much while mixing. You can set the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool it back down, if needed.
• For the bacon: fry in a skillet or cook in the oven at 375°F for 12 – 16 min, until crisp.
• If your dough still seems a bit dry, you can add more buttermilk 1 Tbsp. at a time.
• Raw scones can be frozen for up to 1 month. Just pull out of the freezer and bake an extra minute or two to enjoy freshly-baked scones anytime.

Tea Recommendations:

We recommend you serve this afternoon tea recipe with the following loose leaf teas.

We hope you enjoy our Bacon & Manchego Buttermilk Scone Recipe as much as we do!