Sorry for yesterday’s absence. Here in Maine we got at a foot of snow and it took the later half of the day to shovel out from beneath it. I spoke with my dad last night; Atlanta – which I jokingly refer to as HOTlanta, was at a virtual standstill due to icy road conditions. Wherever you reside, stay safe and warm.
If you think the title of today’s post is a mouthful, just wait till you taste it. These scones are nothing short of incredible. (And well they should be, made of cream and banana and candied ginger.) If you’ve never made scones before, don’t be intimidated. Although you might have to run to the store for ingredients, the recipe itself is simple. Whisk together the dry goods, add the wet and mix just until the dough comes together. Pat out on a lightly floured surface. Cut into wedges, transfer and bake. The scones get a drizzle of glaze while still warm, which only adds to their appeal. Recipe from Fine Cooking magazine.
Yields 8 scones.
SODIUM CONTENT: 14 mg per scone
INGREDIENTS:
For the scones:
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 t. Featherweight sodium free baking powder
1 t. finely grated fresh lemon zest
5 1/2 T. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 small ripe (but not mushy) banana, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 T. minced crystallized ginger
3/4 c. plus 2 T. heavy cream, plus a little more for brushing
For the glaze:
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
DIRECTIONS:
Position oven rack in the top third of the oven, then preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stack two rimmed baking sheets and line the top one with a sheet of parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, along with the lemon zest. Add the butter to the bowl, and using your (freshly washed) fingertips, rub the butter into the mixture until just a few pea-sized lumps remain. Stir in the banana and ginger, then add the cream. Mix with a fork, just until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a (roughly) 7-inch circle, about 1-inch in height.
Using a chef’s knife, cut the dough into 8 roughly equal wedges.
Transfer wedges to the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing an inch or two apart. Brush the tops of the scones lightly with heavy cream (NOTE: a half pint of cream provides the perfect amount for both the dough and the brushing).
Place baking sheet in oven and bake 19-25 minutes, rotating once during baking to ensure even browning.
While scones are baking, prepare glaze. Measure powdered sugar, lemon juice and butter into a small mixing bowl and whisk well until smooth. Set aside.
Once scones are baked, remove sheet from oven and transfer scones to a wire rack to cool. Cool 3-4 minutes, then drizzle with glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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