Ginger Scones with Almond Topping

I'm still working from Nick Malgieri's book "The Modern Baker" and this time I've chosen a scone recipe. I make lots of scones each week for the Farmer's Market but I always like to try someone else's recipe. Kind of helps reassure me that my scones are really pretty darn good!
I changed the technique for making these scones a little bit. I just went back to the procedure I use all the time since I have that pretty down pat by now!
Instead of mixing everything in the food processor, I mix just up to and including the butter stage, then I transferred the dough to a bowl and mixed the wet into the dry ingredients with a fork, then a spatula. I also used a different method for the topping. Other than that...it's the same!

They really are a nice tender and light scone and I love the little taste of cinnamon with the ginger. I sprinkled some raw sugar on the top, too.
I halved the recipe ( which makes 9 scones) and I made only two today and froze the rest to bake at a later time. Freezing them makes it so convenient to be able to have them ready to bake whenever you feel like a few. You'll just have to add more time to the baking.
Begin by placing the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor.
Give that a pusle to mix everything.
Add the pieces of butter and pulse a few times to break up the butter into smaller pieces ( the size of peas..as they say!).


Then ( and this is where I changed the prodecure), transfer the dough into a large bowl and add the crystallized ginger pieces.

In a separate bowl, mix the milk and eggs together...

Add the wet ingredients to the dry (butter) mixture.

And using a fork first, mix it gently, almost in a folding motion, scooping the mixture from the bottom and bringing it up and over the top. Mine needed more milk so if yours seems a bit dry just add more milk about a tablespoon at a time til it gets a nice, fairly moist and sticky look. Just be careful not to overmix the dough!

Then switch to a rubber spatula and scoop out the dough onto a floured work surface, getting all the dough from the bowl.

You will need a bench scraper at this point so go get one ready!

Flour your hands and the bench scraper and form the dough into a rectangle.

Cut the rectangle into 3 pieces all the same size. You'll need to reflour the scraper as you cut.

Then cut each piece in half diagonally to form a triangle shape.

Flouring the scraper once more, scoop up the triangle and place it onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. ( This is where I take the dough and place it onto a piece of waxed paper to freeze. Once it's frozen, I transfer it to a zip lock bag for later baking. And there's no need to thaw the dough. It can just go from the freezer straight into the oven. You can place the topping onto the frozen scone just before baking).

If you're baking all the scones right away proceed with the topping.

Brush the tops with a little milk or half and half ( if you have it) and sprinkle the almond slices on top, crushing them just a bit. Then sprinkle with a little raw sugar, then a little cinnamon...and pop them into the oven...finally!

Bake them for about 15 minutes or til they get a nice light golden color.

Ginger Scones with Almond Topping ( adapted from Nick Malgieri's book, " The Modern Baker")
Makes 18 scones

Scone dough:

3 1/2 cups AP flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground ginger

6 tbsp. ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 12 pieces

2/3 cup crystallized ginger, cut into 1/4" pieces

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 and set rack to middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and ground ginger in the bowl of a food porcessor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse several times to mix.

2. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse til butter is in smaller pieces.

3. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the crystallized ginger and mix gently.

5. In a small bowl, mix the milk and eggs, then add to the dough. Mix gently with a fork, referring to my notes and photos above. (I did need to add more milk. if yours seems too dry, add more milk a tablespoon at a time and gently mixing with the fork.) Don't overmix the dough!

6. Switching to a rubber spatula, scoop out the dough onto a floured work surface.

7. Using a bench scraper, well floured, form the dough into a rectangle and cut into 3 same size pieces. Then cut these 3 pieces diagonally into triangles, reflouring the scraper each time you make a cut.

8. Place the triangles onto the baking sheet, spacing 2" apart.

9. Brush the tops with a little milk or half and half. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds, crushing them slightly, then sprinkle with a little raw sugar and finally some cinnamon.

10. Bake for approx. 15 minutes or til lightly browned.