Ginger Scones, #ISW 2026

2026 International Scone Week

It's International Scone Week 2026, beginning on the 10th August, which is a celebration of scone making, and a shout out to all those cooks who have enjoyed baking a great scone over the years. The perfect scone is a joyous thing.  Let's have a conversation about scone making, over a cup of tea or coffee and eat a delicious warm scone. A memorable scone should have puffy height, a soft, tender crumb, be a little crisp on the outside, and shouldn't flake like a biscuit. This rustic style Ginger scone ticked all of those boxes. Thanks to Tandy from Lavender and Lime for continuing to host this event.

This recipe is based on my Aussie Damper Scone recipe, my go to for making scones at a moments notice. This has been one of the most popular recipes on Happy Retiree's Kitchen. All you need to have on hand is a small tub of cream, Self raising flour, and sugar and you are making scones. I am often surprised when I hear friends who bake very good cakes say that they can't bake scones. This recipe will change that notion. 

 The main thing to remember is that when baking scones, every element must be cold. I've been baking my Aussie Damper Scone recipe for a long time now, but when I checked, surprisingly I've never submitted this recipe for International Scone Week, so I've tweaked it ever so slightly and here it is. This recipe has a subtle hint of aromatic ginger spice throughout. However if you are really a ginger addict, in the nicest possible way of course, by all means add some finely chopped stem ginger, or candied ginger, about 1/2 cup for starters and if you can tolerate more, next time add 3/4 cup.

Whilst it is very enjoyable to eat a scone with different flavours and ingredients, a scone doesn't need to be complicated. In fact historically, a batch of scones was always the bake that home cooks made when in a rush and needing to welcome surprise guests, and they went down a treat. Scones are also a very economical warm and cosy treat to bake for friends and family, which is so important these days, with the cost of living on the rise.

So let's don our aprons, turn on the oven, and prepare to bake a batch of ginger scones.

Ingredients:

3 cups of Self-Raising Flour (450 g Australian measurement @ 150 g per cup), or 3 cups of Plain Flour (450 g) and 6 teaspoons of baking powder, 6 teaspoons extra won't make any difference to scone result, I've tested it.

3 teaspoons Ginger Spice powder
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
300 ml cold thickened Cream
150 ml cold water + extra 150 ml cold water only if needed (I never need the extra amount)
Jam, butter and extra whipped cream or sliced cheese for serving

Optional: 

1/2 cup  Stem Ginger in Syrup (drained), chopped into 1/4 inch pieces or smaller, or candied ginger.

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 220 C.
2. In a large bowl sift the flour, ginger spice, and salt.
3. Stir the drained stem ginger through the flour, if using.
4. Add the sugar and stir through.
5. Pour in the cream.
6. Add 1/2 the water (150ml) and stir with a butter knife.
7. Add the remaining water if required, I never need to. Mix until similar to a bread dough mixture but don't knead it.
8. Tip the scone mixture onto your floured kitchen work bench, and gently pat the mixture into a rectangular or square shape.
9. Spray and flour a baking tray.
10.  Use a scone cutter to make round scones in the batter, or if you prefer cut into squares or triangles.
11. Brush scones with milk and lightly dust with flour if you like that look. I do.
12. Place round scones on your scone tray in rows, touching each other. 
13. Adjust oven temperature, and bake in a hot oven at 200 C for 17 to 20 mins. Check that they are browned to your liking. 
14. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. 
15. Allow to cool before diving in.

ENJOY!!

A previous batch of  Aussie Damper scones

Cook's notes:

•  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.
• As you may have noticed there is no butter in this scone recipe, which makes life a lot easier. There is no need to mix the butter with the flour into crumbs. The thickened cream does the job beautifully.
• Because of the aromatic ginger flavouring, a sprinkle of salt flakes on each scone, before baking, is also delicious. I love to eat these with sliced cheese instead of jam when sprinkled with salt. It is so easy to mix savoury with sweet in a simple scone.
• They are also delicious with a sprinkling of Demerara sugar before baking.
• Just a reminder to check the expiry date on your baking powder. I often now use plain flour and baking powder to make my own Self-Raising flour. Scones rely on the leavening power of baking powder. Baking powder that is more than 6 months old, tends to be flat, so if it is, toss it out. It should have an expiry date marked on it, but when you buy your baking powder, mark the expiry date on it, bake away, and then discard it when it is 6 months old.
• Always buy very good quality Self Raising flour if that is your preference. I grew up with my Mother, who made a lot of baked goods, constantly telling me this, as she would only buy White Wings Premium flour here in Australia. I hate to say it, but buying a home brand Self Raising flour is risky, not guaranteeing quality.
• As I said above, if you really are a ginger addict, in the nicest possible way, by all means add some chopped stem ginger, or candied ginger, about 1/2 cup for starters and if you can tolerate more, next time add 3/4 cup.
• I've been very exact about the Australian flour measurements, as I know you like to know.

Stem Ginger in Syrup is a wonderful ingredient to have on hand if you are a ginger lover. I make my own, and you can see how here, however it is now easily sourced at good quality fruit and vegetable supermarkets.

Happy baking and enjoy International Scone Week, 2026,

Pauline