Bacon & Date Breakfast Biscuits

The key to a good biscuit is to keep all your ingredients cold, work quickly and don’t overwork the dough. This sweet and savory breakfast biscuit combines dates with bacon, cheddar and herbs.  Enjoy warm slathered with some good quality salted butter.

Makes about 10 biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 t black pepper
• ¼ t nutmeg
• ¾ stick butter, cold
• ½ cup chopped cooked bacon
• ½ cup chopped medjool dates (our Grinders are perfect for this recipe)
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 t finely chopped rosemary
• 2 t finely chopped sage
• 1 ½ T finely chopped chives
• 1 cup buttermilk (reserve 2 T for brushing tops)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir to combine. Using a box grater with large holes, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. With your hands gently combine the butter and flour so all the butter is coated. Add the chopped dates to the flour mixture and use your fingers to separate any clumped pieces and toss and coat them with the flour. Add the bacon, cheese, and herbs and toss with your hands to combine. Add the buttermilk (remember to reserve 2 T for later), and quickly combine the dough until shaggy and all dry bits are combined.

Lightly flour a surface and turn the dough mixture out. With lightly floured hands, pat down the dough into a rectangle about 9 by 4 inches and then fold it over in half. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough again, then fold in half again. Repeat this two more times, and finish with dough rolled to about 1.5 inches thick. Using a lightly floured round biscuit cutter, cut your biscuits straight down and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet about ¼ inch apart. Brush with the reserved buttermilk, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, black pepper and nutmeg (optional).

Bake for 15 minutes.  Serve warm and enjoy.