9 steps, about 38 minutes start to finish.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cook bacon until crispy, then crumble and set aside. Peel and dice the apple into small pieces.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and black pepper.
Cut the cold butter into small cubes and work it into the flour mixture using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Stir in the rosemary, diced apple, shredded cheddar, and crumbled bacon.
Add 1 cup of the heavy cream and stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. Add the remaining cream a tablespoon at a time if the dough seems dry.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut into rounds using a 2½-inch biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting.
Arrange biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with the remaining heavy cream.
Bake for 16–20 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve warm.
“Keep the butter cold and stop mixing the moment the dough comes together. Warm butter makes them spread instead of rising tall, and overworked dough turns them tough.”
