SUNDAY MORNINGS at MY HOUSE - chocolate and ginger scones

      I met two friends at my favorite coffee shop this past week.  Kopplin's is the only place I'll go in Saint Paul to drink a cappuccino if I'm not making myself one at home. Kopplin's cappuccinos are what I use as a benchmark when I make espresso and steamed milk every morning at 6 a.m.  And when I'm at Kopplin's, I'm probably also enjoying a pastry from Rustica, a bakery in Minneapolis that supplies Kopplin's with all of its delicious treats.

     This week I purchased a Chocolate and Ginger Scone that I ate long before my cappuccino was ready for pick-up at the counter.  You could say I "wolfed-it-down" in lighting speed.  This scone was so good it had me thinking about Chocolate and Ginger Scones all week.  When I found this recipe by Nancy Silverton, I knew the scones I'd make would rival the one I had eaten from Rustica Bakery. 

     

      In fact, right now my husband is having his morning cappuccino with one of the Chocolate Ginger Scones and said, "these are too good ".  He never raves about anything he's eating while drinking coffee and attempting to wake-up.  A comment like that is rare indeed.  That alone, tells you how good these scones taste.  I've made a few changes to the original recipe, reducing slightly the amount of crystallized ginger and adding chocolate chips.  Also, the dough seemed a bit dry to me after adding the 3/4 cup whipping cream so I added an additional 1 tablespoon cream.  The crystallized ginger was purchased at Whole Foods and I chopped it into a fine dice, then tossed with a sprinkling of sugar to help avoid clumping of the moist, sticky ginger before adding to the dough.

                               • Chocolate AndGingerScones •
                                      adapted from a recipe by Nancy Silverton
                                                 Bon Appétit  | January 2000
                                                  

Yield: Makes 12 Scones
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 11 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon whipping (heavy) cream
• 1/2 cup finely diced crystallized ginger
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons whipping (heavy) cream, additional for brushing on top of scones before baking

1.  Preheat oven to 400˚F.  Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.
2.  Blend flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon peel in a food processor.  Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl.  Make well in the center; add the 3/4 cup cream.  Using a fork, stir until just moist.  If the dough seems dry, add the additional 1 tablespoon whipping cream.  Mix in the crystallized ginger and chocolate chips.  Gather the dough together and gently knead until smooth.  About 8 turns.  Divide dough in half; pat each portion into a 3/4-inch-think round.  Cut each round into 6 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.  Brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons cream.
3.  Bake scones until light brown, about 18 minutes.  (Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cool completely.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Rewarm in 350˚F oven before serving.)