Ginger Cream Scones with Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam

I've combined two recipes in this post, Ginger Cream Scones and Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam.  The Ginger Cream Scones are from a traditional recipe with added ginger.  These tender golden gems have a biscuit like texture, buttery and  slightly sweet with a ginger bite.  The Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam is a honey sweetened jam, if your like me and love a tart versus sweet jam, this is for you.  I've used a mild tasting local raw honey to the jam, a stronger tasting honey will overpower.  Added fresh or frozen sweet bing cherries adds a little sweetness to the mix not to mention a beautiful bright color.

Ingredients

For the Scones...

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tbs.) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch bits

2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream for brushing on top of scoons

extra sugar for sprinkling, optional

Preheat oven to 425° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, crystallized ginger and salt.  Whisk together.  Add cold butter bits and with a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk egg, add heavy cream and grated fresh ginger, whisk to combine.  Add to the dry mixture and stir with a spatula until combined and mixture starts to come together.

Pour out the dough onto a clean work table.  With your hands, gather together and form into a ball.  Flatten ball into a disk about 8 inches in diameter.

With a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges.

Separate wedges, place wedges on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar if desired. 

Note: I double pan these as they tend to brown to much on the bottom.

Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven when golden brown on top and transfer with a spatula to a wire rack.  May be served warm or cool with your favorite jam or good quality butter.  Enjoy!

Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam

Ingredients

6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups pitted bing cherries

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup mild tasting raw honey

2 teaspoons calcium water (see instructions)

3 teaspoons pectin

Makes 6- 8 ounce jars

Prepare your canning jars by washing thoroughly and place them in the rack of a large canning pot filled with hot water.  Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.  Let jars stand in the hot water.  

In a separate pot, bring lids and rings to a boil.  Turn off the heat and let stand in the hot water while preparing the jam.

In a medium sized kettle, (I used a 6 quart pot) combine the rhubarb and cherries with 1/2 cup of water.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until rhubarb becomes very soft.  Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice.  I used a potato masher to mash the fruit for a smoother texture.

To make the calcium water, measure 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder (from the small packet in the pectin box) with 1/2 cup filtered water in a small clean jar with a lid, shake till dissolved.  Add 2 teaspoons of the calcium water to the rhubarb and mix well.  Save the rest of the calcium water for later use in the refrigerator.  
Mix together in a separate bowl the honey and the 3 teaspoons pectin (from the larger packet) Stir well.



Place the rhubarb on top of the stove and on medium high heat, bring to a boil.  Pour the honey/pectin into the boiling fruit slowly, stirring as you add.  Stir well to dissolve the pectin.  Bring the jam back to a boil, stirring continuously.  Remove from the heat.  Skim off any foam from the top.

Carefully lift the rack out of the water.  Using canning tongs, dump the water from the jar down the drain.  Using a clean canning jar funnel, ladle jam into the hot jar filling up to within an inch of the top.  With a clean paper towel, wipe off any jam that may have spilled on the rim of the jar and place the lid and ring on the jar, tighten securely.  Repeat with the remaining jars.  




Place the jars back into the canning rack and submerse into the pot, adding more water to cover the jars by 1 inch or more.  Bring the water to a boil and process for 10 minutes, turn off the heat.  Place a towel on the counter near the stove and carefully lift the rack out of the pot and place the jars on the towel to cool.  Jam will thicken when cooled completely.  Store unopened jars in a cool dark pantry for up to a year.  Store opened jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.