holiday spice: gingerbread scones with candied ginger and orange

ohmygoodnessyum. I have a new favorite - also, I think my holidays needed a bit of gingerbread a LONG time ago. I made these scones by modifying this recipe for gingerbread raisin scones on epicurious. According to the reviews, the original was a little dry, so I added extra liquids and increased the flavour and incorporated something better than raisins: chopped candied ginger and bits of candied orange peel.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup half and half
  
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons dark molasses
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
• 1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a baking sheet and set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and spices in food processor and pulse to combine. Add pieces of cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a large bowl, combine half and half, egg, molasses and vanilla. Add flour mixture and ginger and orange peel and stir together until just combined. Gather dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Pat into a disk, about 6" diameter. Cut into eight wedges.

Place on buttered baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes, then cool on a rack.

note: the scones didn't puff so much as just spread out as they baked. But they taste INCREDIBLE, like soft moist gingerbread cakes. Yum. We're serving ours tonight for dessert at our friends' place, with roasted chunks of apples and a bit of whipped cream.

happy holidays, indeed!