Apricot-Ginger Scones from Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food
By Kathy Schuman, Artistic Administrator, Carnegie Hall
I don't really have experience baking scones but I do love them and was intrigued by this recipe as it said they were not too sweet. The recipe was very straightforward and the batter came together easily in just a few minutes. No special skills required. I liked the fact that there was a cup of rolled oats in them as it made them seem more healthy. I followed the recipe to the letter except for the amount of ginger - I used 2 Tbsp instead of 3, as I had misjudged the amount when purchasing the ginger root. I used California dried apricots (not Turkish) as the recipe suggested - these have a nice tang.
The dough is very wet and needs a lot of flour on the counter to form it into a disk. As suggested in the recipe, I made the dough the day before I planned to bake them and stored it in the fridge well-wrapped. Sunday morning I cut it into wedges, sprinkled with sugar and baked. 25 minutes later I had perhaps the best scones I've ever tasted. They are not too sweet, have a nice texture due to the oats, and the ginger is an unexpected twist that makes them very different from other scones I've had. I don't think I'd use the full 3 tbsp though in future they were strong enough with 2. I think 3 would be overwhelming.
I froze the uneaten scones for future enjoyment!
Apricot-Ginger Scones
Makes 8 scones
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 large egg
11/3 cups (6 ounces) all-purpose flour, more for rolling
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 tablespoons finely grated ginger
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
21/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
11/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick liner.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the cream and the egg and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, oats, apricots, ginger, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Mix just to blend.
Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed until the butter is the size of small peas, about 1 minute. Add the cream mixture and mix on low speed just until it comes together in a ball, about 15 seconds. (To make by hand, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter, and stir in the cream.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (it will be fairly sticky) and shape into a disk about 7 inches across. Cut the disk into 8 wedges (for the cleanest cuts, wipe off your knife between cuts), brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon cream, and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Transfer to the baking sheet, keeping the scones at least 1 inch apart.
Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F. Bake until the scones are just set and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Cool on a rack until warm or room temperature. Scones are best eaten the day they’re made.
