Ingredients
For the Oat Crumble Topping
6 tablespoons (40 grams) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (52 grams) brown sugar
4 tablespoons (20 grams) oats, old fashioned or quick oats are both fine
1/2 stick (2 ounces or 57 grams by weight) cold butter
For the Rhubarb Scones
dry ingredients:
3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons (21 grams) baking powder
1/3 cup (60 grams or 2 ounces by weight) chopped crystallized ginger
¼ teaspoon (1.2 grams) kosher salt
1.5 sticks (6 ounces or 170 grams by weight) unsalted butter, cubed or grated on large holes of box grater (you can absolutely use salted and I often do)
wet ingredients
1 cup heavy cream (you might need a tad more if your dough is very dry)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (8 ounces or 226 grams by weight) fresh rhubarb, diced
Instructions
To make the Oat Crumble Topping
- Place all crumble ingredients in a bowl and use your fingers or a fork to pinch/mash the ingredients together. I like to really squeeze it together to get some nice clumps of crumble. Set this mixture in the refrigerator while you prepare the scones.
To Prepare the Scones:
- Combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, and salt) in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add cubed butter and cut into dough with a fork, pastry cutter, or use your fingers to press it into flat pieces. If using grated butter just mix with fork to incorporate evenly.
- In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup combine wet ingredients (cream, egg, vanilla) and whisk well to combine.
- Slowly drizzle wet mixture into dry mixture while gently stirring with a fork. You will have a slightly shaggy, somewhat dry dough. Add rhubarb and mix again very gently with either your fingertips or a fork to distribute the rhubarb pieces throughout the dough. If you have a lot of dry flour left in the bowl drizzle a bit more cream in about a tablespoon at a time until it comes together. It is ok to have some dry flour - it will come together in the next step and the rhubarb adds moisture so resist the urge to add more liquid unless it is very dry.
- Dump the entire mixture onto a lightly floured surface and pull and press it together. You are not kneading this like bread dough, just encouraging it to come together. Once you have a cohesive mixture, pat it into a roughly 8 inch circle. The thickness is more important than the circumference, so just focus on making it about 1.5 inches thick. If any rhubarb falls out, just gently press it back into the dough, adding a bit of flour as needed to prevent stickiness.
- Once dough is pressed into a flat circle, divide evenly into 8 wedges. Place wedges onto a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment. Top each scone with plenty of crumble - press it in a bit to help it stick and don't worry if some falls off - because it will!
- Freeze scones for at least 30 minutes before baking but you can go longer - see notes and make ahead below. You can bake them right away without chilling but they will spread a bit more than if they had chilled.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees while dough freezes.
- Bake for 25 minutes until golden and cooked through. I like to tent with foil about 1/2 way through so the crumble doesn't get too brown.
- Remove from oven and enjoy warm with butter, jam, clotted cream, rhubarb curd or just as they are.
Notes
After shaping, unbaked scones can be frozen solid in a single layer, then transferred to a freezer bag to be baked whenever your heart desires (just add a couple minutes onto the baking time).
You can also bake and then freeze, but I prefer to store the un-baked scones in the freezer and bake as needed for the freshest scones.
Baked and cooled scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container or bag. The moisture in the rhubarb will cause these scones to soften very quickly so I recommend eating them quickly and even storing them in the refrigerator to prolong freshness. You can pop them in the oven to warm them up (or toaster oven, air fryer, microwave for a quick blast to warm them)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: scones, breakfast, dessert, brunch
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American