Cream Scones with Dark Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger

I needed a good scone recipe for a potluck breakfast I attended this morning, but wasn't sure where to start. Meanwhile, my mind kept heading back to a favorite biscuit recipe I've been making for years. I kept thinking, "I wish I could make scones as good as those biscuits." Finally I decided to just alter the biscuit recipe and see what happened. The results were delectable, providing a rich and tender crumb with virtually no work. I had nothing to take home but an empty container.

Please note that I made mine two-bite-size for the potluck; if you make yours larger, increase the cooking time accordingly.



1 c whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp double-acting baking powder (I prefer Rumford)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c good-quality miniature chocolate chips
1/3 c finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 1/4 c heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp coarse sparkling sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour through salt). Stir to combine. Add chocolate chips and ginger; stir briefly to incorporate. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour in cream. Stir until just combined, handling as little as possible.

Turn dough out onto a clean countertop. Pat into a square about 3/4" thick. Cut square into 16 pieces, then cut each piece diagonally to form small triangles. Brush tops of scones with egg wash; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Using a flexible metal spatula or bench knife, transfer scones to a half-sheet pan, placing them at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden and puffed. Serve warm.