Double Ginger Scones with Currants

Make these.

Make these.

Make these.

Okay, that's pretty much my post about these delicious ginger scones. Pretty simple message, no?

Of course you know me, and I was always going to say more about these scones, because they totally exceeded my expectations of what a great scone should be. Eaten when warm and aromatic, straight out of the oven especially on a cool morning, they are a little crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and the sprinkle of raw sugar as a topping gives them a slightly discernable crunch. The ginger brings a subtle warmth to the flavour, though certainly not a punch of ginger, but just a gentle heat. So lovely to eat with a cuppa of whatever you have brewed up. Just ensure your powdered ginger is very fresh for maximum flavour. I'm not one to eat sweet treats for breakfast, but I ate one of these with my coffee and it was perfect.

It's worthwhile having a batch of these in the freezer to reheat when required. 

This recipe was originally published in "Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy recipes for Exceptionally Scrumptious Sweets and Treats", by Jessie Sheehan. Copyright 2022. I found it online at Epicurious.

Ingredients:

For the scones:

Makes 7 jumbo scones

2 cups (260 g) plain all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed (100 g) light brown sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground ginger (very fresh)

1 tsp salt

141 g (10 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

75 g ( 1/2 cup) dried currants or raisins ( I use currants)

80 g (1/2 cup) stem ginger in syrup (drained), or crystallised ginger, coarsely chopped

118 ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream, cold

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg, cold

Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

For the egg wash:

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Firstly, heat your oven to 190 deg. C  (375 deg. F.)

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt in a large bowl, until all ingredients are well integrated.

Rub the chopped up butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until it is like crumbs. This will be much easier if your butter is very cold when you start, straight out of the refrigerator. 

Add the currants and stem ginger or crystallised ginger to this mixture and toss quickly to combine. Set aside for a couple of minutes.

Whisk together the cream, vanilla, and egg in a small jug, and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir this mixture quickly with a flexible spatula until most of the loose bits of flour are integrated into the flour.  

The dough will be quite sticky.

I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to measure out each scone and place them evenly on the baking tray in balls, one by one. If you need more scones, reduce the size of the scone.

Brush egg wash on the scones. 

Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Making the egg wash:

Whisk together the egg and salt in a small bowl and brush onto the scones. Sprinkle the scones with raw sugar. Bake the scones for 22 to 25 minutes, but check at 22 minutes.  Rotate the tray halfway through to ensure even browning if necessary in your oven. When nicely browned, insert a wooden skewer into the centre of one, and if it comes out clean they are done. Be careful not to bake them longer than is necessary.

Remove your tray of scones from the oven, and let them cool in the pan for 5 minut4s before serving nice and  warm.

Best served with Jam and whipped cream or butter.

Ginger Scones with Blueberry Jam and Freshly Whipped Cream

Cook's notes:

• The scones are best eaten the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container on your kitchen bench for 3 days. Either reheat them in the oven on a low heat until warm for best results, or give them a quick reheat in your microwave oven.
• My recipe for Stem Ginger in Syrup can be found at this link, however Stem Ginger in Syrup can also be purchased from good quality Delis, or fruit and vegetable outlets. Crystallised ginger will work just as well in this recipe.
• When making scones everything needs to be cold, to ensure they are a great scone. This can be challenging when baking where I live in Summer, in the tropics. I ensure all of my ingredients are in the frig the night before. Ok, it might be an impromptu decision to make scones, but as long as the cream and the butter come out of the frig, that is a good start.
• The flour can be kept in the freezer, which not only keeps it fresh, but on the morning of baking, when taken out of the frig it is cold. This optimises the temperature of the dry ingredients, for when they are eventually worked in with the butter. Even if you don't want to keep your flour in the frig or freezer, if you have time, measure it out and pop it in the freezer on the morning of baking. 
• The less you work or mix your scone batter, the better your scone will be.  
• There are so many variations that are possible when making scones, such as adding lemon zest for a quick zing, or some lemon curd, and dried fruits. This is what makes them so appealing. They should be quick to make, and fast to bake, much quicker than making a cake, and can be produced in time for visitors arriving for morning tea.  

I'm putting this question out there to you, my scone baking readers. I'm aware that placing a tray of shaped scones into the freezer for up to 30 minutes before baking, relaxes the gluten, and makes them more tender. This is dependant of course on whether or not you have the time. The cold also chills the fat, increasing the flakiness. We know that all of the scone ingredients need to be cold before using them. Have you ever done this, do you swear by doing this? I actually don't think that these scones need any improvement, but as you know every homemade batch of scones can be slightly different. I would love to hear from you, because I know that some of my readers bake great scones. If you aren't comfortable leaving a comment, please email me via the box provided on the side of my post, however it is perfectly safe leaving a comment on my blog. Email addresses are never made public.

If you can only comment as anonymous, which happens particularly on mobile phones, and if I know you in person, just leave your first name after the comment, that would be lovely. Thankyou.

 

Scone mixture ready to be measured out

First batch

Second batch, warm and just out of the oven and cooked slightly longer. The first batch was very slightly better to eat than the second batch. The only difference being I cooked the second batch a little longer, just by a few minutes. I am being fussy though. 

I would love to know if you make these scones, if you do can you please leave a photo on Instagram if you have an account at #happy_retirees_kitchen.

Warm wishes,

Pauline