Gingerbread Scones
Crumbly and moist scones that taste like gingerbread. Made with molasses, brown butter and plenty of ginger and spices, these are a breakfast treat fit for the holidays.
These gingerbread scones are just perfect for a holiday morning when you feel like having a gingerbread cookie but a scone is more socially acceptable. Though, honestly these are a great treat any time of day. I love them with tea =)
Recipe Origins
The base recipe for these gingerbread scones was taken from these babka scones. I knew I had to lose the egg, given the added liquid in the molasses, and I browned the butter and bloomed the spices like I do in these ginger molasses cookies. It took a few tries to get the leavening right as the molasses were messing with the original balance. Other than that scone making is fairly direct: whisk the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, combine with wet and make a dough. Let’s get into it =)
Recipe Ingredients
Butter: unsalted butter, cold and straight from the fridge.
Fresh ginger: this is optional, and I might reduce the fresh ginger in this if adding but it adds that signature bite of ginger flavor.
Spices: we’re leaning in heavy to the ginger and the cinnamon and using a bit of allspice as well. If you prefer nutmeg or cloves, use that.
Flour: all purpose flour.
Sugar: fine granulated sugar; some goes into the scone dough and some sprinkled on top.
Leavening: baking powder to help the scones rise and in this recipe we’re also using baking soda, to counter the molasses.
Salt & vanilla: fine sea salt and pure vanilla extract.
Cream: light cream or if you are using heavy cream, sub in half of the cream with whole milk so the scone isn’t too heavy.
Molasses: Unsulphured molasses, I like Grandma’s brand.
How to make Gingerbread Scones
Prepare the spiced brown butter
Brown the butter: ideally brown it in a light colored pan so the brown milk solids are visible and you know when to remove it from the heat. Never leave the butter in the pan, it will continue to cook and then burn.
Bloom the spices: adding the spices and ginger to the hot butter will bloom them; ie. bring out their flavor.
Chill the butter: the bowl will be hot once the butter is poured in, wait for it to be cool enough to handle then set it in the fridge.
→ While the butter is chilling, check it a few times. Ideally find it when it is beginning to become creamy so it can be stirred and the spices/brown butter bits better distribute into the butter.
Make the scone dough
Whisk the dry ingredients: the flour, salt, sugar and leavening.
Whisk together wet ingredients: the molasses, vanilla & cream.
Cut in the chilled butter: in its solid state, it can be difficult to remove from the bowl, scrape it up with a metal spoon and do your best to get all the butter out of the bowl. Then, use your fingers to work it into the flour by rubbing it and flattening the bigger pieces. Once you have a mix of small and big (no bigger than a kidney bean) butter bits, stop.
Stir to combine, then fold: add the wet ingredients to the dough and stir to combine, then switch to using your hands. Gather, squeeze and fold the scone dough over and over until it comes together in a dry, shaggy ball.
Flatten, slice then layer: on a floured countertop, flatten the scone dough and shape it into a disk that’s about an inch thick. I like to slice then stack the dough again, this helps develop more layers but it isn’t necessary.
Shape, chill and bake the scones
Press to flatten again and slice: again into a disk that’s about an inch thick. Arrange the scones in a small cookie pan so they are rather close together, but not touching.
Chill the dough: chilling the dough firms up the butter again so that when the scones go into the oven, the butter immediately melts, releasing gas as it does so the dough separates and creates more flaky layers.
Top and bake the dough: brush with cream or milk and sprinkle on some sugar. Or leave them bare for a glaze.
Bake the scones: until they are golden on the edges and bottom and the centers show no signs of wetness or doughiness.
Toppings for Gingerbread Scones
I’ve given instructions for a crunchy sugar topping: brushing the tops of the scone dough with milk or cream then sprinkling granulated sugar on top. It can be organic or even raw sugar for more crunch.
Alternatively, if you’d like to glaze the scones, bake them without brushing them or adding sugar and once they cool make a glaze. Whisk together 130g or 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, a pinch (or two) of fine sea salt and 2-3 tablespoons of cream (just enough to make it a thin paste). Spread or drizzle over the scones.
Gingerbread Scone Recipe
Gingerbread Scones
Ingredients
- 140g or ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter unsalted and cold
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1-2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice or cloves depending on preference
- 335g or 2 ½ cups all purpose flour preferably a low protein flour
- 50g or ¼ cup fine granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 120g or ½ cup light cream or a mix of heavy cream and whole milk
- 70g or scant ¼ cup grandma’s molasses
- 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Method
- Set the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium low heat. Cook as the butter melts, then sputters and pops. As it does the milk solids will separate from the butter and drop to the bottom. The butter will foam and go quiet as the milk solids begin to toast and turn brown. Scrape them from the sides to ensure even browning. When the milk solid bits are all a deep brown color (not black), immediately transfer the butter, scraping up all the bits, into a heat proof bowl.
- Add the spices to the bowl and stir. Let the butter come to room temperature then transfer to the fridge to chill completely. If you remember, check the butter after about 10-20 minutes, when it is still in its creamy state. Stir so that the spices, ginger, and brown butter bits distribute evenly and don’t all gather at the bottom. The butter will be ready to use when it is completely solid.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a small bowl whisk together the molasses, cream and vanilla. Set aside. Into the bowl with the dry ingredients, add the now cold and solid brown butter. Use a metal spoon to scrape it off the bowl if it is stuck so all the butter is incorporated into the dough.
- Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour, flattening it between your fingers and thumbs. Stop when most of the butter is about ‘bean sized’. Pour in the cream/molasses mixture and use a spatula to stir the dough briefly. Then use your hands to gently gather the dough, fold it over itself and squeeze. Keep doing this until it comes together in a shaggy ball.
- Transfer to a floured countertop and flour the top of the dough. Flatten into a one inch thick disk then slice into quarters and stack the wedges of dough on top of each other. Flatten again with your hands, using flour as needed, into a one inch thick disk. Slice the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet, keeping the scones close together so there’s not more than a half of an inch between them. Set in the fridge or freezer to chill for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle sugar on top (skip this step if you plan to glaze the scones). Bake for about 20 minutes, until the bottoms and edges of the scones are golden brown.
- The scones keep well for 2 days at room temperature, stored in an airtight container.
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I love scones. So much. I’ve been on a gingerbread kick recently, and I knew I had to make this. I followed the recipe to a T, and it’s just so good. It’s tender and has that crumbly texture that I love. I went for a glaze, and it was the perfect amount of sweetness. It was a hit with my family. I’ve made many recipes from this site, and this is another win!