Almond Ginger Pear Scones Food

PEAR SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; cut in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly texture. Whisk together the egg and half-and-half in a separate bowl; stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until combined; stir in the pear. Drop large spoonfuls of the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes; rest briefly on a cooling rack before serving.

ALMOND-GINGER-PEAR SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
• In large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add the pears, 1/3 cup of the almonds and the candied ginger. Toss to mix them inches Mix in buttermilk just to blend. Gather into a ball and gently knead 3 or 4 times on a lightly floured surface.
• Pat or roll out 3/4 inch thick. Cut out circles with 2 1/2- to 3-inch round cutter, rerolling scraps as needed.
• Place on baking sheet, spacing apart. Brush tops with egg, sprinkle with remaining almonds, dividing equally, and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake in center of oven 12 to 15 minutes until springy to the touch and lightly browned. Remove to rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12 scones.

GINGER AND ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the pan with baking parchment, letting the parchment hang over the sides. (This will make it easier to remove the dessert once baked.)
• Prepare the base:
• In the saucepan, melt the butter. Add the almond meal, fresh ginger, honey, egg, salt, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The mixture should be thick and sticky.
• Turn the mixture out into the prepared pan. To help make a level and even base, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the base. Using a flat-bottomed glass (or your fingers), smooth out the base by pressing gently to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Bake until the base is slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping:
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the almonds, candied ginger, honey, salt, and vanilla. Stir just until the ingredients are incorporated.
• When the base is baked, spread the topping evenly over the base and bake until the topping is dark and sizzling, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not underbake.
• Transfer the pan to the baking rack to cool. When the dessert is completely cool, remove it from the pan using the overhanging parchment as handles and cut it into 16 even squares.
• Do Ahead
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Variation:
• Chestnut Honey Squares: For the base, replace 1 cup (90g) almond meal with 3/4 cup (120 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour and use a strong honey, such as chestnut, in place of the mild honey. For the topping, replace the candied ginger with organic candied orange or lemon peel, cut into tiny cubes.

ALMOND SCONES

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 fan and line a tray with baking paper.
• Add the flour, almonds, salt and butter into a bowl and rub until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix in the sugar. Pour in almost all the milk and all the almond extract until you have a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 12 using a cookie cutter.
• Put the scones on the tray and glaze with left over milk and cook for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve with a cup of tea!