Christmas may be over, but peppermint and gingerbread season is still in full swing, and that means it’s time for some gingerbread scones!

I started working on this scone recipe just after Thanksgiving, when I planned a Christmas tea/birthday party for my mother-in-law, Jane. The overall tea was great and we liked the scones, but they were a little dry (though they softened up and were better the next day). It took two more tries to get the recipe right, but I think they’re just about perfect now. And Arabella agrees.

If you’ve never made scones before, please don’t be intimidated. They may not be the most basic thing you can possibly bake, but they’re close. Plus, they come together pretty quickly and don’t require any special equipment.

I hope you love these gingerbread scones — if you make them, please leave a comment below or tag me on social media!

Gingerbread scones

(Makes 10-12 scones)
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus a little more to dust the surface of the dough)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk from a large egg

Preheat oven to 375F. Make sure you have a clean, flat surface available (this can be your baking sheet with a silat liner or parchment paper on it, if necessary).

In a large bowl, whisk (or stir with a fork) together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, spices and baking soda.

Cut the cold butter into cubes, then stir into the flour mixture. Use your fingers to smoosh the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture looks like coarse sand, with some small (pea-sized or a bit larger) pieces of butter still visible.

In a small bowl or large mixing cup, stir together the molasses, heavy cream and egg yolk until well blended (use a fork or just make sure to stab the egg yolk with the spoon so it blends in with everything else). Pour that mixture into the flour/butter mixture and stir just it comes together in a ball.

Turn the ball of dough onto a clean, flat surface that is dusted with some flour. Knead the dough with your hands a few times, then pat it down into a flat circle that’s about an inch thick (err on the side of thicker rather than thinner). Cut the circle into 10-12 wedges.

Place the scones at least an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the centers are set and the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm, with whipped cream.