OK, so I'm thinking bacon and....chocolate? Sounds yuck, but I recently had a bacon chocolate bar (Mo's Bacon Bar from Vosges Haut Chocolate) that combined smoked bacon, smoked salt, and chocolate. It's all or nothing--you either love it or hate it. I loved the combination of the chocolate with the smoky salt-sweet bacon. I was thinking to use vanilla extract, skip the maple, and add chocolate chips in addition to the bacon. Half the fun is in the experimentation. Besides, between work and family, there's always someone willing to eat mistakes! Gotta wait for the weather to cool off, tho--records highs yesterday and today! Well, one nice thing about scones is, the oven isn't on for TOO long. It's down to 92°F here now, after going up to about 96°F earlier. And, I think your chocolate-bacon idea sounds worth a try - I can see it. In fact, I might prefer milk chocolate in this case, though dark chocolate is usually my choice. Milk chocolate might not be as assertive and "competitive" with the bacon. Give it a try - let us know if it's a fave or a flop! :) PJH

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