Serves: Makes about 12 - Time:
There are few things better than a fresh scone and you too can produce prize winners as long as you follow a few rules. Don’t overwork the dough; generously flour the cutter for a good and even rise and finally don’t re-roll the off cuts (however tempting it may be to get a few more scones out of the dough). I might add that the chewy toffeeness of the Medjool dates makes these scones even more irresistible.
Ingredients
- 400g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 70g golden caster sugar
- 175g stoned medjool dates, cut into small pieces
- 90g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg
- 250ml buttermilk
- For the eggwash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- To serve Clotted cream, strawberry or raspberry jam
Method
- Heat the oven to 200˚c, fan oven 180˚c , mark 6. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until there are no visible lumps. Stir in the dates.
- In a separate bowl mix together the egg and buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the egg mixture. Carefully bring the mixture together to form a smooth-ish dough but don’t overwork it or the scones will be tough.
- Put the dough on a floured surface and gently roll out to a thickness of 2 ½ cm. Dust a 6cm cookie cutter with flour and stamp out rounds, being careful not to twist the cutter as you press down. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with non-stick parchment. Mix the egg with the milk and brush the tops with the egg wash. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the scones are golden and risen. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- To serve, split in two and spread with clotted cream and strawberry or raspberry jam.
