Savory Corn, Bacon & Garlic Scones with Cranberry Pepper-Jam

Directions

1. Scones:
2. Preheat oven to 425°F.
3. In a large frying pan, render bacon until crisp and golden brown. Remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel and set aside.
4. In heated pan with bacon fat add leeks, celery, red bell peppers, and portabella mushrooms; season with salt and pepper and sauté until tender. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic to the pan. Once aromatic, remove from heat.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley to sautéed vegetable and thoroughly mix. Strain vegetable, removing excess bacon fat and place sautéed vegetables in a small bowl to let cool.
6. In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add Mrs. Cubbison's Cornbread stuffing and whisk dry ingredients together thoroughly. Add ricotta cheese, cream of corn, and butter. Using a fork or potato masher, gently combine ingredients.
7. Once dough has gathered into small lumps, use a rubber spatula to stir in bacon, 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and the cooled vegetables.
8. Gather ingredients from bowl and turn out onto a clean surface dusted with flour. Briefly knead the dough until all ingredients are combined and a ball forms.
9. Divide dough into two equal portions and form two disks that are about 1-inch thick. Place on a parchment lined 9x13 casserole dish and place in the refrigerator for 4-5 minutes.
10. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, grated garlic, lemon zest, finely chopped shredded parmesan, and olive oil; mix thoroughly.
11. Remove dough from refrigerator and evenly sprinkle topping on the two disks. In the 9x13 casserole dish, using a sharp knife, cut disks into 6 equal triangles and separate them leaving some space between each scone.
12. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown, rotating pan once at the halftime mark. Remove from oven and place on wire-cooling-racks. Allow to rest 4-5 minutes.
13. Serve warm with a dollop of Cranberry Pepper-Jam
14. Cranberry Pepper-Jam:
15. In a large saucepan, add the chopped red bell pepper, jalapeño, crushed red pepper, sugar, and salt. Heat on a medium flame until sugar has completely dissolved, mixing occasionally.
16. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add fresh cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and jam thickens, stirring occasionally.
17. Remove from heat, place in a small bowl and refrigerate.

Tips:

Scones may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days. Heat in oven for 5 minutes and serve immediately. Jam may be stored in a jar or airtight container for up to one week.