The world can never have too many good scones, that’s what I believe. You can bet that when I find a little local shop that bakes ’em up right, I’ll be back. And when I find a recipe I like, I’ll be saving it to make me some more!
I was just a little hesitant to try this new scone recipe. And my wavering was all because of one ingredient.
Molasses.
It’s not that I don’t like molasses. But I can only take it in small doses. And those doses need to be sweet ones.
So while I dawdled and tried to find other sweet things to bake, I simply couldn’t get the scones with molasses off my mind. I just really needed to try them so I’d know for sure.
I gave the recipe’s sugar quantity a little boost right away and added some sweet and tart cranberries, perfect for the holidays. The gingery goodness comes together beautifully and fills the house with its spicy tantalizing scent. Moist and tender, with a thin crisp exterior, these Gingerbread and Cranberry Scones have just the right dose of molasses. They’re guaranteed to make your holiday breakfast table a merrier one.
Gingerbread and Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
- 1 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. whole wheat flour
- ⅔ c. packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ c. cold butter cut into 1/2” pieces
- ½ c. dried cranberries
- 1 T. finely chopped candied ginger
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ c. whipping cream
- ¼ c. mild molasses
- 1 egg white lightly beaten
- ½ tsp. water
- coarse sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cranberries and candied ginger. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
- In a small bowl, stir together the egg, whipping cream and molasses. Add this mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until ingredients are combined.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 times, or until nearly smooth.
- Divide dough in half and lightly pat each half into a 5” to 6” circle, about 3/4” thick. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Place wedges about 2” apart on parchment lined baking sheets. In a small bowl, combine egg white and water. Brush tops of scones with egg white mixture and sprinkle with coarse sugar to your liking.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a crack in top of scones comes out clean. I recommend letting them cool a few minutes and serving them warm and fresh.