Gingerbread buttermilk biscuits

A not-too-sweet treat!

If you’re a fan of the ‘warming spices’ like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, you’ll likely find these biscuits really appealing. They’re a nice twist on traditional biscuits or scones and would make a very festive addition to a breakfast, brunch or tea party menu. If you are a fan of inventive biscuits, you’ll find many recipes on this site, including my foolproof cheddar biscuits.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (107 g) brown sugar  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) very cold butter
• 2/3 cups (160 mL) buttermilk *
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) molasses
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon cream, for brushing tops
• White sanding sugar, for tops (optional)
• Clotted cream, whipped cream or butter, to serve

*make a great buttermilk substitute by combining milk (after removing 1 teaspoon of milk) with 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Method

• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder & soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
• With the coarse side of a box greater, shred the very cold butter into the flour mixture. Toss with your fingers to combine.
• Combine buttermilk, molasses and fresh ginger in a large measuring cup; stir to blend well.
• Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir quickly until a shaggy dough forms.
• With your clean hands, gently draw the dough together into a ball then transfer the mixture to a parchment covered or lightly flour dusted work surface.
• Fold the dough mixture several times to incorporate any remaining dry bits. Alternatively, depending upon the ambient temperature and/or altitude, you may find the mixture a bit too moist; in that case, sprinkle with a teaspoon or two of flour as you handle the dough.
• Pat, the dough down into a circle-ish shape about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick; cut the circle in half and stack the two pieces on top of each other.
• Press down on the dough to get it to form a circle again, repeat previous steps of cutting and stacking, then press down to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Place the dough in the freezer (on a piece of parchment) for 15 minutes before cutting.
• Cut the dough with a 2 1/2 inch (6.25 cm) round biscuit cutter.
• Gather the scraps and gently press them together then cut out a few more circles.
• Transfer the biscuits to parchment-lined baking sheet and place in freezer for two hours. Transfer to an airtight container and store in freezer; they will be baked from frozen.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with clean parchment paper.
• While oven is heating, place the frozen biscuits on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with the cream and sprinkled with sanding sugar. Bake for 20-22 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
• Transfer biscuits to a wire rack to cool briefly; serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 biscuits; recipe can be doubled.