Sunday, January 13, 2008

Baby its cold outside...


It's been unseasonably warm lately here in NYC, but its finally cooling off, and I welcome the chill in the air. I don't like to ice skate in 6o + degree weather, it just gets too slushy, and I like the cozy evenings in with hot chocolates and treats. I also love to bake when it gets cold, so as the temperature began to drop I though right away of doing something very warming...something with ginger. I decided on ginger scones for a couple of reasons; first, I find it very difficult to find a good scone when I'm out and about, and secondly, I usually enjoy them when summer fruits are in season (I heart raspberry scones), so I thought it was time to give this recipe a try. I also find ginger a perfect compliment to the chilly weather with its nice spice and warming qualities.

Double Ginger Scones (from Fine Cooking, issue 61)

2c. a-p flour
1/3c. granulated cane sugar
1T baking powder
1/2t salt
1/2 ground ginger
3/4c. chopped crystallized ginger
6T butter, cubed
3/4c. heavy cream
2 lg egg yolks, lightly beaten

(for finishing)
1 lg egg, lightly beaten, with 1 T milk (for glaze)
1t sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line heave baking sheet with a sil-pat.
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients with a whisk.
Stir in crystallized ginger, and toss to coat (so they don't stick together).
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until they are about pea sized.

In a small bowl, egg yolks with cream and then stir into the flour mixture until just incorporated.
Continue to mix with your hands until the dough comes together into a ball.
Place on baking sheet and pat into a 7 inch disk, it should be about an inch thick.
Cut into 8 wedges with a bench scraper, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake 18-22 minutes.
Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.

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