Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ground ginger, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the sugar, crystallized ginger and apricots with your hands to distribute all the ingredients evenly. Add the buttermilk gradually, mixing gently to form a soft dough.

Shape the dough into a ball and knead it briefly on a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half and pat each half into a 1/2-inch thick round, 5 inches in diameter. Cut each round into six triangles, and transfer the triangles to an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Just before baking, brush the tops of the scones with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (turning the baking sheet 180 halfway through the baking time), until the scones are a light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 12 scones

Tender, light and neither too buttery nor too sweet, these breakfast scones feature sweet bursts of dried apricot followed by the mildly assertive nip of crystallized ginger (which can be omitted if you arent a fan). With a pat of melting butter, a spoonful of apricot preserves or orange marmalade, and a tall glass of orange juice (or an aromatic cup of apricot tea), youve just found a few moments of morning serenity.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.