It’s very cold here today, with temps in the teens and gusty winds up to 50 mph making it feel like 1 degree F.  Brrrr!  Wind is howling around our little cottage, but we are snug as bugs in a rug with the oven warming up the kitchen and the tropical flavors of orange and ginger making us dream of sunny beaches and warm breezes.

This is another variation of my basic sweet scone recipe, with the added bonus of using up the evaporated milk leftover from this quiche recipe.  They came out just right; not too sweet, with the zing of ginger and the sweet tangy flavor of orange chasing the winter blues away.  Try some out today!

Not the scone you’re craving?  Check out Cranberry-Orange, Wild Blueberry-Grapefruit, Black Currant, Cheddar Scallion, or Goat Cheese, Chive and Cranberry scones.  I think I have a scone fetish.

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Ginger & Orange Scones

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (9 oz) whole grain all-purpose flour
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (4.5 oz) whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• Zest from 2 medium oranges (about 2 tbsp)
• 6 oz (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, frozen for at least 30 minutes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 3/4 to 1 cup chilled evaporated milk (or milk, buttermilk, cream), plus extra for glazing

METHODS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (375 F convection).
2. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; whisk for approximately 1 minute until well blended.  Transfer flour mixture to the bowl of a food processor.  Add butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Mix orange zest and chopped ginger into flour mixture. 
4. Gradually add the liquid, tossing with a fork until moist clumps form.  Stop adding liquid when it seems the dough will stay together; if the dough is too sticky, the scones will lose their shape upon cooking. If the dough seems crumbly and will not hold a shape, add more liquid 1 tbsp at a time.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead briefly to bind the dough; about 4 turns should be enough.  Cut the dough in half, and form each portion into a 1- to 2-inch thick round.  Cut the round into 8 triangular pieces with a sharp knife or pastry cutter. Transfer wedges to a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet, spacing approximately 2 inches apart. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough.
6. Using a pastry brush, glaze the tops of each wedge with the extra milk. Sprinkle a small amount of turbinado sugar on top for added crunch.
7. Bake for 10 minutes (8 minutes convection), then turn pans in oven 180 degrees.  Continue to bake for 10-15 minutes (7-12 minutes convection), until the tops of the scones are golden brown and they feel somewhat firm to the touch.
8. Transfer to wire racks to cool.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Yields 16 small scones or 8 large ones.

OPTIONS

1. This is a good, basic scone recipe that can be easily modified; blueberry-lemon, mixed berry and chocolate chip-dried cranberry are some of our favorites.
2. Ginger-lemon would work nicely; use the zest from one lemon, and maybe a tablespoon of lemon juice added in with the liquid.

STORE

At room temperature, 2 to 3 days.  Avoid wrapping in plastic as the scones become soggy – wrap in a kitchen towel instead.  These freeze quite well and will last in the freezer up to 6 months.  Defrost for 30 seconds in the microwave or for 2-3 minutes in a toaster oven.

SEASON

Year round.