Mango Ginger Scones with Lime Honey Butter

Here we are in the middle of solar baking week and I have to share one of my favorite recipes for scones. I don't know what it is about a well made scone that invokes all the feelings a calm Sunday morning in my Grandma's kitchen. I am not sure I ever had a scone until I left home to go to culinary school. It may just be a comforting mild and tender pastry. Like my Grandma in pastry form. That I eat. Hmmm. Not really sure that sounds right. I'm going with it though.

Mangoes are in season here and I have to admit, they are one of my all time favorite fruits. Right up there with blackberries ( when they are on sale, there will be a full week just on blackberries...because it's my blog and because I say so.) Before that happens however, let's finish up this epic week of solar baking ( though I won't stop giving solar tips long after this week is over. ) You know I love you right?

Seriously though...lets make some scones.

You will need:

2 cups all purpose or cake flour (white or wheat)

1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup crystal fructose
1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup butter (or vegans use "Spectrum" brand shortening, non-hydrogenated)

1 mango, peeled and chopped

2T candied ginger, minced fine

2 eggs beaten (or 1/2 cup "eggbeaters")

2T honey

5 T lemonade or mango juice

Lime honey butter:

5 T butter

3T honey

zest of one lime

1/4 tsp rum extract

Directions: Open your solar oven and put it in full sun. Regular oven, pre-heat to 425. My solar oven reaches about 350 usually...so these will take a little longer to bake in the solar oven than the regular oven. Not a huge difference in any other way that I can see.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut the butter into chunks and work into the flour mixture until it is really small pieces. Looks a lot like little peas. REALLY little peas.

One thing I love in a good pastry is some nice candied ginger. If you don't have some, you can use 1 tsp dry powder. I happen to think the candied stuff is really snazzy. Right up there with sequins on Elvis' sunglasses and jumpsuits. See the sparkle?

Wah-huh.

Fold the mango and ginger into the dry ingredients. First pause for dramatic effect. This is the part where I tell my husband he can feel free to kiss me. Yes. He is easily swayed by my reference to Elvis. Roll drums...

Whisk the eggs, juice and honey all together. Go on then...with vim and vigor. Oh my gosh...I just used "vim and vigor" in a sentence. Yikes. I scare myself sometimes.

Now, see the mango mixed into the dry ingredients? It's hiding in there. Probably scared by my reference to "vim and vigor".

Pour the wet whisked ingredients into the dry mixed ingredients. Very technical, but I think you can handle it.

Stir it up, just until the wet stuff ins mixed in. Don't mix it too much or you will have what I very scientifically refer to as a "hockey puck" scone. Hard little dough balls not suitable for ingestion by man or beast...though I dare say many a man has chocked those pucks down for fear of waking the said beast in his wife.

Flour a counter top very generously. Don't go crazy, but seriously don't go super light either. Spread out the flour and then roll the dough out of the mixing bowl. It should look really pretty with some nice pieces of mango sticking out all over. Yea, babe. This is the good stuff right here.

Cover the top of the dough ball with sugar, about 1/4 cup and then pat it out into a round circle, about 8 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. It doesn't have to be exact. I like it kind of jagged around the edges. I think it's a matter of preference.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces, like an unbaked pie.

Mmmm.

Transfer to a baking sheet and bake (leave about 1inch between them). Solar oven takes 15-17 minutes. Regular oven at 425 takes 10-12 minutes.

Lime honey butter. Mix the softened room temperature butter with the remaining ingredients.
Really this picture doesn't do it justice. It's one of life's simple pleasures.
Slathered on a warm mango ginger scone...you may never recover.
There you go. Happy baking. Even in August.