Scones

One of my favorite things to have for breakfast is scones, so I have decided to include the recipe I use from the book, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. (I have made a few changes to make it easier to understand)


1/2 to 1 cup candied ginger, chopped to the size of a raisin (other types of dried fruit or nuts could be used instead)
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar, plus extra for the top
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly butter a cookie sheet.

Toss the ginger with a tablespoon of the flour. Mix the remaining flour with the baking powder, sugar, and salt, then cut in the butter. Combine the eggs, cream, and vanilla, then stir it into the flour mixture along with the ginger. (Don't add all of the liquid at once, add it slowly until the dough picks up all the flour. I have measured the liquid volume of eggs, and the size can make a big difference. The regular white eggs that we get from Costco are 1/6th cup and the brown eggs we get from the farmer's market are 1/4 cup. If you end up with extra add it to the 1 tbsp cream to brush the top with.)

Turn the dough onto a floured board and lightly knead 8 to 10 times.

Pat or roll the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick, then brush the top with the remaining cream and sprinkle with sugar.

Cut into 12 wedges or into small circles and bake on the cookie sheet until glazed with gold, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

This time I used dried cranberries instead of ginger in one batch, and in the other I forgot to put the cranberries in before adding the liquid, so I kneaded in some powdered cinnamon and nutmeg.

This is the look that my 2 year old brother Stephen gave me when I told him that we have to cook the scones before we can eat them. He kept the pose just long enough for me to get this picture and them he smiled and asked to, "See a pic-ter a Tepen."

Lauren Ashley