I discovered this ginger scone recipe when we stayed in a B&B in Maine quite a few years ago. I added them to the breakfast menu at Hopton House and they are very popular.

When you're running a bed and breakfast, you're always be looking for shortcuts to make your life simpler. These ginger scones have the advantage that they can be frozen uncooked, then cooked from frozen. Make up a big batch, freeze them on a tray and then pop them into a bag in the freezer. Just take one or 2 out of the freezer when you need them.

Find out more tips on How to reduce food waste at your bed and breakfast

American breakfast scones are different to the traditional English scone. They are much flakier – almost like a thick but lighter shortbread biscuit. They contain no egg but are made with double cream. In my opinion they need to be eaten, still warm, from the oven.

These scones are a slightly different version of my original ginger scones as they contain maple syrup and porridge oats.

Maple Oat Ginger Scone Ingredients

• 400g plain flour
• 50g caster sugar
• 65g porridge oats
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 170g cold diced butter
• 90ml maple syrup
• 180ml double cream

Maple Oat Ginger Scone Method

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, porridge oats and ginger in a mixing bowl and mix well together. Then rub in the butter till it resembles biggest breadcrumbs. I use my kitchenaid to do this but it’s easy to do by hand.

Add the cream and maple syrup and mix till it forms a dough but don’t over beat.

Put the dough out onto a floured surface and fold it in half several times.

Roll it out to a dough about 2cm thick then, using a cookie cutter in your choice of size, cut out the scones.

Brush with maple syrup and sprinkle with a few oats then put in an oven heated to 180 degrees C ( fan oven ) and bake for 16-18 minutes.

If you want to freeze, put the individual scones on a baking tray ( without the extra maple syrup and oats )  and place in a freezer till frozen, then put into a plastic bag and put back in the freezer.

You can bake from frozen, brushing first with the maple syrup and oats, for about 20 minutes. But I tend to take them out of the freezer as soon as I get up and bake just before the guests are due for breakfast. They'll have defrosted in a warm kitchen by then.