Drizzled Gingerbread Scones

Ingredients

• For scones:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cold
• 1 large egg, separated, divided
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Optional Icing:
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven, then heat it to 375 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and cloves.
2. Add the butter and work it in with a pastry blender until the mixture looks fine and you no longer see butter pieces. Stir in the egg yolk, molasses, and milk until a thick dough comes together; if the spoon starts to lose the battle, use your hands to press it into a dough.
3. Move the dough to a work surface and knead it just a little, only until everything is fully combined. Shape it into a 6-inch disc. Slice the disc into 8 wedges and arrange them on the prepared pan, leaving about 2 inches between them. Brush the tops with egg white and scatter the granulated sugar over them.
4. Bake until the scones are set, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool them on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before adding the icing.
5. For the icing, stir the confectioners’ sugar and milk together until smooth. If the icing is too loose to keep its shape when drizzled, mix in a small amount of sugar to thicken it. Use a pastry bag with a small tip, or a spoon, to drizzle the icing over the cooled scones. Leave them somewhere cool and dry until the icing sets, about 30 minutes.