Chocolate-Tamarind Scones with Candied Ginger and Fig
I was aiming for autumnal + South Asian, and this fit the brief nicely. I fed Stephanie and Karen when they came to work with me this morning, and Anand and Kevin ate the ones I left at home, and I took the rest to a department poetry reading this evening, and now they’re almost all gone. That was fast! 
The scone flavors are subtle, letting the ginger and fig shine; if I were going to do these again, I might try doubling the tamarind and chocolate, for a punchier version, and also adding in a teaspoon of cayenne — I do like tamarind + cayenne! But that might tip it over the edge; this version is a very good all around scone.
(If you don’t have a mini scone pan, you can cut and shape these by hand, and bake on a regular baking sheet, placing them quite close together. If you pop them in the freezer for 30 minute before baking, they’ll hold shape better.)
Recipe below the images
2 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 c. chopped candied ginger
1/2 c. chopped dried figs
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 T tamarind paste
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 c. chocolate chips for drizzling
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray mini scone pan with Baker’s Joy (or butter and flour pan, which will be kind of a pain).
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Chop butter in small pieces and cut into flour with a pastry cutter (or with your fingers) until mixture resembles coarse meal. (It’s fine to have small lumps.) Stir in ginger and figs.
3. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 5 scone ingredients, beating eggs lightly. Pour into dry mixture and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Cut into 16 equal pieces and press into the cavities of the pan.
5. Bake 20-25 or until medium brown. Let cool 20 minutes in pan, then remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely. Serve warm, with coffee or tea.
6. Optional: Chocolate drizzle. Melt chocolate in double boiler on stovetop or on low power in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Drizzle chocolate (spooning it into a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off makes it easier) over the top, and let dry until set.