Sausage, Cheese, and Apple Scones

I've always said breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I know, new studies came out last week stating that it might not be as important as we all once thought. Pppfffff, I don't believe them!

For one, everybody has a study about something from how slow ketchup drips to how many hiccups a toddler can have. Yes, they really do have studies for these things.

And two, these so called "studies" have reported coffee is bad for you. Then five years later, state coffee is good for you, only to turn around the following year and state coffee is bad for you...again. I think right now we're in the coffee is good for you stage.

So you see why I don't believe what these "studies" say. I KNOW breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 'Nuff said.

With that, I'm sharing a breakfast recipe that is sure to get you out of bed. My sausage, apple, and cheese scones. Yes, they are as good as they sound!

I was asked by my friends over at The Daily Meal to come up with a recipe for Johnsonville Breakfast Sausage (they must know my stand on breakfast!).

Creating a recipe with sausage presented somewhat of a challenge for me since I don't eat pork. Luckily, I'm surrounded by people who do! I know guys at work who stuff a pork loin with sausage, wrap it with bacon, and call it a meal! So finding someone to taste test my recipe was no problem and they were more than happy to oblige.

Since I’ve been wanting to make scones (they've been on my bucket list. Yes, I have a bucket list for making certain foods!), I decided to incorporate the two together. Sausage and scones. But I didn’t stop there, I added gruyere cheese and apples to my scones.

These scones remind me of cool Fall mornings, where you can sit out on the porch, eating scones for breakfast and enjoying your morning coffee.

Scones are such a versatile breakfast choice for anyone and they can be savory or sweet. You can add just about anything to flavor them. Plus, they're easy to make.

Those times where you have to grab breakfast on the go is a great time to choose one of these scones. Especially with back to school breakfasts, when you and the kids are running late. Or they can be something you sit down to eat with your coffee or tea while going through your emails and social media.

Why I've never made them is beyond me, other than I've never had a scone before. Yes, it's true, ...er....29some years without a delicious food like a scone! Shame on you Mom for not introducing me to these when I was growing up!

With another food crossed off my bucket list, I'm going to enjoy my coffee because tomorrow another "study" might discover coffee is not good for you!

By the way, it was after I had already made this recipe that I found out Johnsonville now makes a chicken sausage and a turkey sausage. It looks like I will be making these again soon, so I can try some of their deliciousness with my coffee.

Sausage, Cheese, and Apple Scones

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A savory breakfast scone with sausage, gruyere cheese, and apple pieces.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 scones
Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dalmatian sage
• 6 to 8 Tablespoons butter, frozen and cut into small pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 1 package (12 ounces) Johnsonville Original Recipe Breakfast Sausage Patties, cooked and cut into small pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
2. Prepare cookie sheet by spraying with a non-stick cooking spray. Wipe off any excess with a dry paper towel. Set aside.
3. Cook sausage as directed on package. Let cool and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients. Blend together with a fork.
5. Using your mixer with correct attachment for dough making, pastry fork, or your fingers, work in butter with the dry ingredients until crumbly.
6. Add in cheese and apple pieces, mixing well.
7. Mix in yogurt and egg.
8. Combine sausage pieces, blending throughout dough mixture.
9. Knead dough for about 5 to 10 minutes using your KitchenAid mixer.
10. After kneading dough, remove from bowl, and place on a flour dusted surface. (Yes, you're about to get messy here! If you're anything like me, change into an old shirt, preferably NOT a black shirt).
11. Work the dough with your hands for about 1 to 2 minutes.
12. If dough is too sticky to work with your hands, add more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time. Dough should be a little sticky, not smooth like an ordinary bread dough.
13. Shape dough into a round shape with your hands. Roll the dough mixture with a floured rolling pin, sprinkling on more flour if needed to prevent sticking. You want dough to be at the least 1/2 inch thick. The thicker the dough, the larger your scones. But remember, you want them to cook all the way through so not too thick here.
14. Tidy up the outside edges with your fingers, keeping in mind that you want the dough to look rough, since that is the beauty of a scone.
15. Cut your circle into pieces, similar to a round pizza.
16. Gently transfer each piece of dough (a spatula works great for this) onto your prepared cookie sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between each piece of dough.
17. Place into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are a light golden brown.
18. Remove from the oven.
19. Scones can be served fresh out of the oven, warm, or room temperature.
20. Best served with butter, mascarpone cheese, or cream cheese and coffee or tea.

*Helpful Hints*

 

- When cutting your pieces of dough to create your scone, press into the dough quickly with a sharp knife, trying not to twist or shear the dough. This helps your scones rise higher.

 

- I put 6 to 8 Tablespoons of butter because you can add to your taste. The more butter, the more buttery flavor your scones will have. I added 6 Tablespoons and they were just right for me. If you want less butter taste, add 4 Tablespoons instead. I live in the South and out here they always say, "the more butter, the better."

 

- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Can also be stored in the freezer for later use.

 

Disclaimer - I received no monies for this post. I only received one coupon to purchase Johnsonville Breakfast sausages. Recipe and opinions are all my own.

 

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