This Ginger Rock Buns Recipe is part of my Rock Buns Recipe series, which includes seven varieties plus the traditional Rock Buns Recipe. I love to use ginger when baking so for me these rock buns were a clear winner!
It was after making the original Rock Buns Recipe that I decided to experiment with a number of variations. Here they all are below, including the original recipe.
What are Rock Buns?
Rock Buns (or Rock Cakes), are easy, quick, and cost-effective to make. Their name comes from their rugged appearance rather than their texture. Like scones, they’re best enjoyed fresh — ideally warm from the oven, and certainly on the day they’re baked.
Ginger Rock Buns
9
servings20
minutes20
minutesIngredients
8 ounces / 225 grams / 1 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 ounces / 110 grams / ½ cup soft dark brown sugar
4 ounces / 110 grams / ½ cup butter
4 ounces / 110 grams / ½ cup crystallised ginger or stem ginger, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1-2 tablespoons milk
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6.
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment or lightly grease with a little butter.
- Sieve the flour and ground ginger into a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Add the butter cut into into small pieces and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the chopped ginger.
- Mix to a fairly stiff mixture with the egg and milk.You may not need 2 tablespoons of milk. I find it easier to mix using my hands.
- Add the egg and enough milk to make a fairly stiff consistency. I find it easier to mix using my hands.
- Pile the mixture in little rock like heaps onto the prepared baking tray. You should get between 8-12 buns according to size. I usually make 9 medium size rock buns.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes until risen and golden brown.
- If you are using stem ginger drizzle a little of the syrup from the jar over your buns while they are hot.
- If not serving warm cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate and Ginger Rock Buns
If you like a chocolate ginger combination you could add 3 ounces / 85 grams / ⅓ cup of chopped chocolate with the ginger and drizzle with a little melted chocolate when they come out of the oven.
Traditional Rock Buns
Traditionally, rock buns are flavoured with mixed spice and include dried fruit and candied peel. In recipes, the ratio of fat and sugar to flour usually ranges from one-third to one-half, but never exceeds that.
Older recipes often call for lard, or a combination of lard with butter or margarine. Personally, I find the best rock buns are made with butter, using the higher ratio of fat and sugar — one-half of the flour quantity.
Most recipes suggest using about the same weight of dried fruit as flour, but I like to be more generous, adding at least 6 ounces of fruit to a mixture based on 8 ounces of flour.
What type of flour and sugar should I use?
You can use either self-raising flour or plain flour with baking powder. I’ve tried both and noticed no real difference. The choice between white and brown sugar is also up to personal taste. I prefer caster sugar for my traditional Rock Buns Recipe, Coconut Cherry and Chocolate, Apricot & Almonds, Jam Rock Buns, and Raspberry and Lemon recipes. For my Apple, Sultana and Cinnamon Rock Buns, Date & Walnut and these Ginger Rock Buns I like to use a brown sugar.
Serving Ginger Rock Buns
As with all of my rock buns these Ginger Rock Buns are nicest served warm from the oven, but should anyway be eaten on the day they are made. Any leftovers can be frozen. Defrost wrapped in foil in a hot oven.
Happy baking!
Tanya
