Eat This While You Read That: LB Johnson
It's rare that I have a recipe in this series where I haven't talked to the author directly, and it's also rare that I have a recipe I can't publish. That's because the author is a friend of friends and they asked her about taking part, and because like me, she cooks and posts recipes on her blog. For someone I've never met, we have a lot in common.
I think my readers will enjoy her book, even if it is a bit different than the usual I review here on the blog. The Book of Barkley is a non-fiction dog book, but it's more than just about a dog, it's about the interaction between human and animal that heals and humanizes. I think if I had to use only one word for the book, it would be 'bittersweet.'
Like chocolate, life comes in flavors and bittersweet is one of them. It's a balance, the ups and the downs, the joys and the sorrows. I'll leave all that to you to ponder while you read and munch on one of these Maple Bacon Whiskey Scones.
My husband loves me enough to let me use the good stuff for this recipe.
I baked the bacon for the recipe first, to have nice evenly crisp bacon (and save the grease for later).
I used heavy cream for the recipe instead of sour cream, with a teaspoonful of lemon juice just to activate the leavening.
Gratuitous Bacon Shot
I love the silicone baking sheets, so easy to clean up after and you never have to worry about sticking. I did increase the amount of maple syrup in the dough, reducing the sugar at the same time. I also threw a tablespoonful of whiskey in the dough.
She said capful, but this whiskey has a cork, not a cap. So I just poured some in the powdered sugar. Maybe a tablespoonful.
With whiskey and some maple syrup and then a touch of milk. It had flavor to spare!
The Scones were fluffy, tasted of bacon with a hint of maple and whiskey but almost savory on their own. With the glaze and the extra bacon on top, the bacon was the predominant flavor but it all came together very, very well.
The First Reader's comment was that he could have done without the glaze, but I knew that, he doesn't care for really sweet things. I liked them both with and without the glaze so if you want to skip the sweetness, it's very doable. Also, these didn't dry out, we both nommed on cold ones later in the day and they were still very good. Not as good as warm, but worth eating.
The recipe link for the Maple Bacon Scones with Whiskey Glaze if you missed it up top.
And a picture of our happy black dog, who loves us no matter what.