Ginger Beer Scones

scones

I think it’s safe to say that I’m addicted to ginger beer. I practically drink my body weight in it on a weekly basis, and after water and coffee, it’s my beverage of choice, hands down. It’s a fabulous drink on its own – tangy and refreshing, especially on a hot day, but it’s also great as a mixer or in cocktails. However I’d never tried it in cooking, until now. I love scones, and for a while I’ve been thinking about making ginger beer scones, similar to lemonade scones but using ginger beer as the liquid component.

And you can’t have scones without jam! I decided it was time to face my fears and make my very first batch of jam, ever. I adapted a Strawberry and Ginger jam recipe from Gourmet Traveller and it was absolutely smashing, just as good if not better than any jam I’ve ever bought. I was really surprised at how easy it was to make. I’ve been slathering it on everything this week, and it’s nearly gone already. I see another batch of jam in the very near future.

What could be better than a homemade scone? I’d never tried making scones this way before, but I am pleased to say they worked perfectly! I think they could have had a little more of a gingery flavour, so next time I would add half a teaspoon of ground ginger to the mix. The key to making great scones is to be very gentle with your mixture, otherwise they’ll turn out flat and hard instead of beautifully risen and fluffy on the inside.

Don’t forget to enter my Good Food and Wine Show competition, for your chance to win one of two double passes to the show in Sydney! See here for more details. Entries close Monday, good luck!

Ginger Beer Scones with Strawberry & Ginger Jam
Makes about 12 scones

Strawberry & Ginger Jam
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller
• 350g strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
• 285g golden caster sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated

Scones
Adapted from Delicious
• 300g self raising flour
• 55g caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 125ml thick cream
• 125ml Bundaberg ginger beer (room temperature)
• 40ml milk

To make the jam, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and ginger in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil and stir frequently until reduced to a jam consistency (8-10 minutes). Refrigerate until chilled. Makes about 500ml.

To make the scones, preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Line a baking tray with non stick baking paper. Sift the flour, sugar, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl. Add the cream and ginger beer and mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured workbench and knead lightly until just combined. Press the dough with your hands to a thickness of about 2cm.

Use a 6cm round cutter to cut out scones, place on a baking tray and brush the tops with milk, Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with jam.

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