Holiday Feast: Scones

I've been working hard on our various holiday feasts. We're hosting (maybe) twelve for Christmas, so this past weekend has been a lot of preparation work, cleaning and the like. I started off yesterday by making scones, lots of scones. Some will be for us, some will be for guests, some for co-workers.

The recipe I use was first published in 2000 in Bon Appetit. I found it at The Gunroom site, which has a collection of recipes suggested by list members. I've found it to be a very versatile recipe. For example, one time I dropped the lemon and ginger and added a tablespoon of cocoa powder and chocolate chips. I usually swap the lemon peel for orange peel, add dried or fresh cranberries, use dried blueberries and the like.

The recipe makes about twelve scones, when I use my middle-sized pastry cutter. Yesterday I made six batches, sprinkling each with red, green or blue crystallized sugar for the "seasonal touch". So, I made 72 scones!

2 and 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon peel (I use dried and usually use more)
11 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter (yes, 11 tablespoons!)
3/4 cup of heavy (whipping) cream)
2+ tablespoons of heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 to 3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger (depending on how much you like)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter baking sheet or use non-stick baking sheets. Place flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon peel in food processor; add butter (already cut into pieces) and mix, using on/off turns or use a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Mix in your ginger (or, if doing a variant, your berries or chocolate chips or whatever else you are using). Make a well in the center of the mix and pour in the 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Using a fork (although I usually do this with my hands), stir until well mixed and "just moist".

Transfer dough to floured surface and gently knead until smooth, about 7 turns. Form into large round, about 1/2-inch thick. Using a pastry cutter, cut out smaller rounds (I usually get about 12 per batch of dough). Place on baking sheet, brush with the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.

Bake scones until light brown, about 16 to 20 minutes.