What could be better than a British Recipe for scones? An American Carrot Ginger Scone recipe that’s NOT a carrot cake trying to be a scone!
My Carrot And Ginger Take On A British Scone Recipe
It just so happens that I have finally discovered the joy of growing sweet carrots in my backyard. What a difference it makes pulling the roots of fresh carrots from the ground for some of my favorite recipes!
Since carrots are actually a root, just like ginger, turmeric, potatoes and beets, I thought ginger would be the perfect perfect addition to pair with the delicate tasting carrot.
What Is A Scone?
Honestly, I never had scones while growing up.
The closest thing to a scone I had, was homemade biscuits.
Biscuits , made in my kitchen, when savory with cheddar cheese and herbs, were perfect for a bowl of chili or to bake on top of a Turkey Pot Pie.
However, when made into a slightly sweet dough, they were perfect for morning coffee or topped with my homemade Thyme Strawberry Jam.
Both a biscuit and a scone are a thick batter, or dough made with really cold butter, flour and baking powder.
Carrot Scones Are NOT Carrot Cake!
Sure, there are lots of fabulous recipes floating around for carrot cake, mine being exceptionally delicious, but then I remember back in the 70’s when carrot cake became a trend.
So I’ve had many years to tweak the original, which was overloaded with sugar and masked in cream cheese frosting.
I’ve revamped it entirely!
Carrots are delicate in flavor and don’t need to be lost in typical cake recipes.
So imagine my surprise, NOT, when I found nearly every carrot cake scone recipe, was created the same as the overly sweet carrot cake recipes floating around out there!
Not sure why they are being called a scone, when they are merely carrot cake with less liquid.
Okay, I’m done kvetching!
British Scone Recipe
Being married to an ‘old school’ Brit has taught me many things about the original British recipes we Americans have attempted to mirror.
Having visited England a few years ago and spent a week in the countryside of the Cotswolds I had scones that were the scones to beat all scones!
The Brits, of course, love their butter and schmear it on everything, including their sandwiches.
However, while the British scone recipes I tasted had a variety of types of flour – whole wheat flour, almond flour, though most often a good quality all purpose flour – they did NOT have America’s traditional cream cheese frosting across the tops of the scones.
Nope, just lots of clotted cream!
What Is The Secret To Making A Good Scone?
Surely by now you have tasted some of my other flavorful scones –
- Blueberry scones – with plump fresh blueberries, a buttery oat dough with lemon glaze, for an afternoon tea or ladies gathering.
- Lemon Mint scones –
- Tea Time Almond Biscuits, a scone recipe I made into bite sizes biscuits, which means you already know these scones are about the flavorful ingredients and not the sugar.
Most British scones have the same basic ingredients in their scone dough:
- Cold butter
- Heavy cream
- A flour mixture that always includes baking powder
- Large eggs, even if only one
- A rustic shape formed on a lightly floured surface, never in a pan, baked free-form on a baking tray
All else is extra and created for individual flavors.
A British Scone Is The Accompaniment To Tea
Tea is a big deal in England, to be savored and accompanied, by something extra special.
Having recently watched The Crown, Season 6 episode 9, Prince William goes to visit his granny, The Queen, upon request.
As they sit together having a very candid, personal conversation, granny pours them each a cup of tea, and William reaches for a plain scone, to which he tops with strawberry jam and a dollop of clotted cream.
This, is a British scone!
The Best Carrot Ginger Scone Recipe
For the best results in making these delicious carrot scones, try to work with small, sweet organic carrots.
Sometimes carrots used for juicing are really large but can be sweet. The important thing to know before making the scones, is if the carrots are sweet.
Once you have a mound of grated carrots, which I find grate fastest in a food processor, though a box grater works just fine, the rest comes together fast.
Shaping Scones
There is no set rule or age-old traditional way to shape scones.
Using a biscuit cutter in a variety of shapes, both large and small works great.
Of course a cookie cutter can also work.
Another popular way to shape the scones are to simply place the dough onto the baking sheet and cut it, like you would slice a pie, into triangle shapes before baking.
Rustic looking scones taste just as delicious as fancy cut scones.
Choice is yours.
Equipment Needed
- Baking sheet and parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Hand mixer or pasty cutter
- Measuring cup and spoons
- Mixing bowl or food processor
- Crinkle cutter
- Basting brush
- Oven
Ingredients Needed
- Butter
- Whole milk or cream
- Heavy cream
- Yogurt
- Carrots
- Brown sugar
- Fresh ginger
- All purpose flour
- Powdered ginger
- Nutmeg
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
Carrot Ginger NOT Cake Scones
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 12 oz Butter frozen and grated
- 1/2 cup Whole milk cold
- 4 tbsp Yogurt thick and cold
- 1 1/2 cups Carrots grated
- 1/3 cup Brown sugar or unbleached
- 1 tbsp Fresh ginger grated
- 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour extra for dusting
- 1/2 tsp Powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Topping
- 2 tbsp Heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, place the all purpose flour, sugar, spices, salt, baking soda and powder and mix. Set aside the dry ingredients.
- Prepare the shredded carrots with a box grater and set aside.
- Quickly work in the grated butter into the dry mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. Work in the carrots and the remaining wet ingredients until it comes together into ball. Once the dough forms a ball, transfer to a lightly floured surface and with a rolling pin shape the dough into a round disk, or circle about an inch thick.
- With a bench scraper or wide knife, transfer the dough to a flour dusted cutting board and place dough in the fridge to chill for 15-minutes. Cooled scones are easier to shape or cut into the shape you desire.
- Take the dough out of the fridge. place on work surface, and with a pastry cutter, biscuit cutter or simply a sharp knife, cut the scones into the shapes you desire.
- Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. On the top of the dough, baste heavy cream with a pastry brush, followed by a sprinkle of sugar.
- Bake the scones until they are golden, about 30-minutes. Serve or store in an airtight container.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.