Currant, Orange and Ginger Scones
16 Scones (using a 2 ½” round cutter)
Ingredients:
Dusting of coarse cornmeal for the baking sheet
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (plus a bit more for dusting the rolling surface)
3 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda (this helps the browning, but could easily be left out)
1 tsp kosher salt (less to taste)
2 oranges (you will use both the zest and the juice)
1 cup dried currants
10 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 ½ cups cold buttermilk
2 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 egg (for the egg wash)
Coarse sanding sugar for a finishing sprinkle before baking
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2) Zest the two oranges. Set the zest aside and juice the two oranges into the 1 cup of currants in a microwavable bowl. Cover the currants and juice with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes. Set aside to cool.
3) Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper and lightly dust with coarse cornmeal
4) Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and soda and salt), then whisk in the orange zest.
5) With a box grater, grate 10 Tbsp cold butter directly onto the dry mix.
6) Cut in the butter with your fingers (or a pastry cutter) until only small pieces remain.
7) Strain the cooled currants and fold them into the dry mix.
8) Add the grated ginger root and the vanilla paste to the cold buttermilk and stir to combine.
9) Make a well in the dry mix and pour in the cold buttermilk. Gather the dough together with your hands until all is moistened and forms a loose ball.
10) On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough until it is about one inch thick.
11) Dip a 2 ½” inch round cutter in flour and cut out as many circles as possible. Make sure you don’t twist the cutter. This will close the cuts and inhibit rising. Place the cut scones on the parchment lined pan. Lightly gather the remaining dough together and cut out as many circles as possible again.
12) Whisk the egg with 1 Tbsp water and lightly brush the tops only of the scones. Sprinkle the tops with the sanding sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and starting to brown. Rotate the pan halfway through the baking.
13) Remove from the oven and let the pan sit on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove the scones from the pan and continue to cool them on the wire rack.
