Sunday 20 October 2019

Bacon And Thyme Scones/Loaf

I really enjoy community cookbooks, those put out by schools and local groups.  They show us how regular people (like ourselves) eat and live.  I have quite the collection of them!  It's always handy to see how real people cook, using ingredients and methods that we all can use to make life a bit easier in the kitchen.   

Here we have a recipe from The Irish CountryWomen's Association Cookbook, put together by the ladies of the Association to share dishes that are cooked in their homes.  This particular recipe is by Edward Hayden, an Irish TV chef and food writer.  I'm guessing he's not one of the women, though he probably makes it in his own home:-).




cheesy and golden, ready for slicing and loads of butter 


ingredients:


140g. (5 oz) bacon, diced

450g. (1 lb) plain flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cayenne or paprika

pinch of salt

85g. (3 oz) cold butter, diced

85g. (3 oz) tasty cheddar cheese, grated

2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped or herb(s) of your choice

1 large egg, lightly whisked with a fork

200 mLs (7/8 cup) buttermilk

a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and extra grated cheese to top the scones/loaf if you wish



Method:


Fry the diced bacon in a dry pan till it starts to go brown; put aside to cool

Sieve the flour, baking powder and cayenne into a large mixing bowl

Add the salt and the diced butter

Rub the butter in with your fingertips till the mixture looks like breadcrumbs

Throw in the cheese, herbs and bacon

Pour the whisked egg into the middle of your flour mixture, and blend in with a knife

Gradually mix in the buttermilk, so you end up with a soft, sticky dough

At this point, decide whether you're making a loaf, or scones like Edward does

I went for the loaf, and spooned the dough into a lined loaf tin

Sprinkle on pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and extra cheese if using

Bake the loaf @185C for about 45 mins or till golden on top and a skewer in the middle comes out clean

If you go for the scones, roll out the dough on a lightly-floured surface, cut into 10-12 pieces and place on a greased baking tray

Sprinkle on the pepitas and cheese

Scones bake at 180C for about 25 mins. till golden brown on top

Whether loaf or scones, this is delicious with lots of salty butter spread thickly

Keep any leftovers in an air-tight container for several days

If you made a loaf, you can slice thinly and toast or grill the next day(s)



Notes:


Use a mix of vintage cheddar and parmesan if you like a strong, cheesy flavour

Edward suggests mixing an egg with a bit of milk to brush the tops of the scones/loaf, but I didn't bother - it was plenty moist enough to hold the pepitas 



ingredients go into the large mixing bowl 


mix till you have a smooth, sticky dough

plop the dough into the lined loaf tin

baked @ 185C for about 45 mins.


slice thinly and slather with butter



     artwork © Sherry's Pickings

30 comments:

  1. I love the idea of making scone into a loaf. Bacon and cheese...who could ever resist? The combo of the flavours is amazing, Sherry.

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    1. thanks much angie. Yep bacon and cheese - winner!

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  2. This loaf was superb when grilled, with of course loads of butter! Try it. Mr P liked it.

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  3. Community cookbooks are great because they often have super achievable recipes-like this! :D

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    1. yes indeed lorraine. they are very useful. cheers S

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  4. Unfortunately the flip side of learning how real people cook is that some of them aren't very good cooks (but still contribute recipes) and some of them are very good cooks but either aren't capable of giving good directions or they intentionally leave out a step or an ingredient to maintain their high status! Yes, this really has happened.

    Also, I wonder what the existence of so many real people's food blogs has been on the demand for fundraising cookbooks.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. ah now there's something i hadn't thought of Mae - that some contributors would send in just plain bad or deliberate mistakes! I've always wondered why people did that - refuse to give out a recipe or change it so no one can make it properly. it seems to negate all the beauty of sharing food and recipes!

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    2. I have to admit that I have withheld a recipe once. The lady in question would not use quality ingredients and it was such simple biscuit and I wanted to keep it as my own for a little longer.

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    3. that's interesting suzan. it had never occurred to me to withhold a recipe i have to say. cheers S

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  5. Sherry, I love community cookbooks as well, but you know I haven't seen one to buy for quite a while. It's lunchtime and your recipe is making me even hungrier. I like your very neat looking loaf tin liner, I generally make my own from baking paper. Did you find them at the supermarket somewhere? Thanks for sharing Sherry.

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    1. hi pauline
      i come across quite a few in my travels - at markets or in indie shops or online... the loaf liners come from the Good Guys stores. they have heaps of different shapes too. sooo handy.

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  6. I must try this tomorrow. My granddaughter would love to help make this treat.

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    1. that's good to hear suzan. do you have a blog yourself?

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    2. I have tried but my life is so routine and I found it very difficult.

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    3. well it's always a good time to make a change and an effort! blogging is fun and we all just do our best.

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  7. Sounds nice and savory! And perfect for autumn!

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  8. Holy cow, this bread looks amazing! I agree with you on those community cookbooks, Sherry. There are some real gems hiding in those! (Of course, there are some real duds, too...I'll have to write a post sometime about some of the recipes I found in one of those cookbooks. Haha!) I love homemade breads, and this sounds like a great one. Plus, bacon makes everything better!

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    1. hi david
      the funny thing is i reckon proper commercial cookbooks can be full of untested recipes that don't work well, whereas mums usually have tried them many many times so they work:) Yay to bacon! thanks for dropping by.

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  9. Love the flavors in your loaf - thyme is a favorite herb and who doesn't like bacon or cheese in recipes :) I would probably pass on the pepitas but love the additional cheese sprinkled on top :)

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    1. hi judi
      yep cheese and bacon and thyme - you can't go wrong there!

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  10. Love the idea of scones in a loaf! And I love those pepitas on top. Community cookbooks are my jam!

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  11. Fun dish! Never had scones in loaf form and now I want it. :-) Thanks!

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    1. hi KR
      well i figured that scones are just like damper really so would make a perfectly fine loaf, and it did!

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  12. Talk about a bread that packed full of goodness!! So much texture and flavor. I've got to make this! Thanks!

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