Candied Ginger Scones

This recipe is based on The Great British Bake Off, my favorite show.  I love working with the precise metric measurements. I make these for holidays of the Wheel of the Year, served with whatever my latest jam is.

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

120 grams of whole wheat pastry flour 

120ish grams of spelt flour

50 grams evaporated cane sugar
50 grams butter, chilled and diced
1 backyard chicken egg
97 grams buttermilk, (or milk with 2 tablespoons of yogurt) plus more (or other milk) for brushing

115 grams crystallized ginger, rough chopped

1/2 tablespoon sugar-in-the-raw or other sugar with large crystals

Preheat the convection oven to 392°F (425°F in a conventional oven).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a scale, tare a medium mixing bowl and add salt, baking powder, and whole wheat pastry four.  Add spelt flour to reach 250 grams total.  Add sugar and mix until well combined. Add the pieces of butter to the bowl and toss them in the flour just to separate and coat them. Rub the butter into the flour using the tips of your fingers, lifting your hands up above the rim of the bowl so the crumbs and flakes of the mixture fall through your fingers back into the bowl. Rub until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.

In a measuring cup, beat the egg with the buttermilk. Pour into the crumb mixture and lightly work with hands (adding ginger towards the end) just until it forms a soft, shaggy dough (don’t overwork).

Press the dough into a disc, picking up any extra floury bits, about 3cm thick. Cut the disc into 8 wedges.  Gently move scones on the baking sheet so there is space between them.

Brush them with milk, sprinkle with sugar-in-the-raw, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until a rich golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Eat warm from the oven with jam and butter, or better yet, clotted cream.

For mini scones: gently separate each of the 8 wedges in half and shape into 16 rounds.  Bake for about 10 minutes.

Strawberry Rose Petal Preserves

The local Foodshed had an amazing sale on strawberries.  The recent heat wave caused the strawberry fields to smell like jam, which is heavenly but means it's the last of the strawberries.  So it's time to jam.

I wanted to add an additional flavor; looking at what was available in my yard, I thought roses would go beautifully with strawberries.  I picked a bunch of 'purple splash' rose petals and a Meyer lemon from the garden.  I use Pomona universal pectin, mostly because that's what's available at the co-op, but also because it allows me to use less sugar than some recipes.

flower rainbow for pride month;
that's a 'purple splash' rose on the upper left corner.

1.25-1.5 cups evaporate can sugar, organic, fair trade

3 teaspoons pectin

5 cups strawberries (1.5-2 pounds), sliced thick

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 teaspoons calcium water (from the pectin packet)

2 cups rose petals, tightly packed

Place a small plate in the freezer. If canning, prep all your tools and equipment, and start boiling water for processing.  Make the calcium water.

In a small bowl, add sugar.  Sprinkle with pectin and stir well. Send aside.

Put a large cast iron enameled pot on high heat.  Add the sliced strawberries. lemon juice, and calcium water.  Bring to a boil, stirring.  Sprinkle in the sugar mix and stir vigorously to dissolve sugar while bringing it back to a boil.  Stir in the rose petals and boil for 5 minutes. Test to see if the jam is set by putting a teaspoonful of liquid jam onto the frozen plate.  Allow plate to cool for 2 minutes in the fridge.  If the jam gels, it's ready.  If not, test every 2 minutes.  When it's done, remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

If canning, fill jars leaving a half-inch head space and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes about 4.5 cups.  I made three batches, which made 13 cup jars—the perfect fit in my canning pot.