Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

• For scones:
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup grated carrots, squeezed between two paper towels to get out excess moisture
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup diced candied ginger
• For icing:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Milk

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the center of the oven, then heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the pan. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Work in the butter with a pastry cutter until the pieces are pea-sized.
2. Pour in the buttermilk and stir just until a dough comes together. Fold in the carrots, raisins, walnuts, and ginger. Press the dough in an even layer into the prepared pan, then use a knife to gently mark the surface into 8 wedges.
3. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the scones are golden. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the icing, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If it is thicker than you want, mix in milk by the tablespoon until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Slice the scones where you marked them, then finish with the icing.