Cranberry and ginger scones

The holiday season is such a great time to bake tasty treats and share them with friends and family. These scones are soft, buttery and perfect for breakfast with a cup of hot tea or coffee. The tang from the fresh cranberries and subtle spice from the ginger make a great pairing. They are easy to make and will disappear in no time. Enjoy!

Makes 16 small or 8 large scones, Prep. time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp for sprinkling

• 1/2 tbsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (dry ginger powder) + 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger

• 1/2 cup cold butter

• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (thick consistency) or yogurt

• 1 tbsp milk for brushing

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• For glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 to 2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger in a large bowl.

3. Add in the cold butter and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter or a fork. You can even use your hands: rub the flour and butter gently between the palms of your hands until the mixture forms a crumb like texture. Do not over handle the flour and butter with your hands because the heat from your hands can melt the butter.

4. Add the chopped cranberries.

5. Add the buttermilk or yogurt and mix it into the flour with a fork. Make sure the buttermilk is thick. If it is too runny, the dough will look like a batter. The dough should be wet and sticky.

6. On a clean surface, sprinkle some flour and tip the dough onto the surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts and roughly shape each part to form a ball. Or, make one large ball with the entire dough. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes to allow the dough to keep its shape.

7. Grease a knife with butter. Using the greased knife, divide each dough ball into 8 wedges.

8. Place scones on a greased baking sheet. Brush scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar and ground cinnamon.

9. Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Check the scones after 12 minutes and pull them out if they look golden brown.

10. Prepare the glaze: Add 1 tbsp lemon juice to the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Check consistency of glaze. If its not smooth enough, add more lemon juice, few drops at a time. Drizzle glaze over the hot scones and enjoy!