Ginger Scones (among others)

I have had several folks ask me to post my recipe for Ginger Scones, so here goes. Well, maybe I will give my basic scone recipe and a couple of favorite variations, including the ginger ones. Hope that is OK with those of you that have requested this!

Basic Scones
2 cups flour
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
Combine flour, sugar, BP, soda, and salt in large bowl (or bowl of food processor if desired). Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. (if using food processor, transfer to a large bowl.) Mix together buttermilk, and egg, then pour into dry ingredients and stir gently until mixture comes together. On a lightly floured surface knead gently five or six times. With floured hands, transfer to cookie sheet and pat into eight-inch circle. Cut into eight wedges with a sharp knife. Separate slightly. Bake 14 to 16 minutes,or until golden. Transfer to wire rack.
You could also pat these out gently on the floured surface and cut there, then transfer gently to prepared sheet.
Variations: All added ingredients get mixed into flour/butter mixture after the butter is cut in and before the milk/egg is added unless otherwise noted.

Drop Scones: Do not knead. Drop by quarter-cupfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Makes ten.

Cheddar-Bacon-Chive: Reduce sugar to 1 TBS and add 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir in the following ingredients: 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, 1 TBS chopped fresh chives, and 3 strips cooked, crumbled bacon.

Corn-Green Chile: Reduce flour to 1 3/4 cups, add 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal and a pinch of red pepper. After cutting in butter, add 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (thawed) and one 4 oz can chopped green chilies, undrained.

Rich Tea: Increase sugar to 1/3 to 1/2 cup (as per your taste), increase butter to 1/2 cup and substitute 2/3 cup half and half for buttermilk. Bake for 12 min. (You could use whole milk.)


Ginger: Use rich tea version with these added changes. Substitute 1/2 cup dark brown sugar for regular sugar, add 1/2 to 1 tsp dry ginger to dry ingredients. Mix in 1/2 cup diced crystallized/candied ginger tossed with small amount of powdered sugar to flour/butter crumbs. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger to egg/1/2 & 1/2 mixture. Before baking scones brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.

I have made the Cook's Illustrated Blueberry Scones using the changes of substituting brown sugar, adding powdered and fresh ginger, and using diced candied ginger for the blueberries. I probably used at least a cup and maybe more.
The amount of ginger used is really to the taste of the baker, so I tend to use a fair amount!