Gingerbread Scones

Because both of my children now attend Pierson, I couldn't go to Gingerbread House night at the Elementary School this year without getting weird looks. As a consolation, I made some gingerbread scones for myself this morning.

Gingerbread Scones
Makes 12

Those spices from McCormick--ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg--are sure coming in handy. I also added some finely chopped crystallized ginger (from the bulk bin at Provisions, where it is always plump and moist) to the dough, which gave my scones real zip. To slather on my warm scones, I mixed together 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon of cranberry preserves I had leftover from Thanksgiving.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons dark (not blackstrap) molasses
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups ol-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sanding sugar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch dice, place it in a small bowl, and set it in the freezer while you gather your remaining ingredients.
2. Whisk together the buttermilk and molasses in a glass measuring cup.
3. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add the chilled butter and, with an electric mixer, mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the oats. Stir in the milk mixture on low speed until the dry ingredients are must moistened. Do not overmix!
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Shape each half into a 6-inch disk. With a sharp chef's knife, cut each disk into 6 wedges. Place the wedges 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sanding sugar if desired. Bake the scones until they are firm and beginning to color on the bottom, 12 to 13 minutes. Let them cool for 5 minutes and serve them warm.