I’ve had a craving for scones for a while now, but have put off making them until a few days ago, which turned out to be one of the hottest days in New York so far this year. Not an ideal day for baking of any kind, in fact, but my craving won out, and I cranked
up the a.c. and got to the task at hand. I made a classic cream
scone, but added crystallized ginger and lemon zest to the dough instead of the standard currants. Despite the a.c., my kitchen was warm, so I put the bowl containing the flour and butter mixture
in the freezer for a few minutes so that the butter wouldn’t
melt into the flour as I cut it in. The scones came out perfectly—extremely tender and warm and fragrant with the scent of ginger and lemon. And if you’re eating a scone (which rhymes with
‘gone,’ not ‘own,’ in their country of origin), you’re indulging, so you might as well go all the way with the accompaniments. I suggest raspberry jam, homemade crème fraiche and honey butter, and a nice strong pot of Earl Grey tea. Or perhaps iced Earl Grey tea. It is summer, after all.
Note: If you prefer to cut out the scones with a round cutter, reduce the amount of butter to 6 tablespoons. The scones will hold their shape better.
