Date Nut Scones Recipes

DATE NUT SCONES RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 10-inch diameter circle in the center of a baking sheet or use a well seasoned baking stone.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, or two knives (or even using your fingers), cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the milk, egg, and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Don't worry if the dough is sticky - it's supposed to be. With lightly floured hands, knead in the dates and nuts until evenly distributed.
• On your prepared baking sheet or stone, pat the dough into a 9-inch-diameter circle. If desired, brush the egg mixture over the top and sides of the dough. Using a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.
• Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container. I found that these freeze very well also.

DATE SCONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon.
• Add the grated frozen butter into the flour mixture, and work it in with your fingertips until it resembles wet sand, see post above for visuals. You can also use a pastry cutter, but I find hands easier!
• In a separate bowl mix together heavy cream, egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients and the chopped dates to the flour, and mix together until combined with a spatula or fork. You can give the dough a couple kneads with your hands, but don't overwork.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and pat it into an 8 inch circle. Cut the circle into 8 wedges, and place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place the sheet with the dough on it into the fridge to rest for 15 minutes.
• While dough is resting, heat oven to 400 F (200C). Take scones out of the fridge, and brush the top of each with a little heavy cream, and optionally sprinkle with some coarse sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until edges and top are a light golden brown.
• Serve warm, either plain or with some clotted cream and/or jam.

MAPLE OAT NUT SCONES

Steps:

• For the scones: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, ground oats, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add the butter pieces and use a pastry cutter to work the butter and dry ingredients together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped pecans.
• Whisk together the cream, maple extract and egg in a small bowl. Pour into the flour mixture, stirring gently until it all comes together. (The mixture will not come together in one cohesive ball; it should be in a few large clumps with some crumbs in the bowl.) If it is overly crumbly and will not come together at all, add a couple of tablespoons of extra cream and work it in.
• Turn the dough out onto a cutting board or floured surface and use your hands to press it into a 6- to 8-inch circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal wedges (or you can cut into smaller wedges to get more).
• Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake until poufy and set and just barely golden, 20 to 24 minutes. (They shouldn't have much color on them at all.) Allow to cool completely.
• For the icing: Combine the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee and maple extract in a large bowl. Make sure the icing's thick but still pourable.
• Drizzle a very generous amount of the icing onto each scone, then sprinkle on a few more chopped pecans. Allow the icing to set completely, then serve.
• The scones will keep nice and fresh for days in a plastic zipper bag.

EASY DATE AND WALNUT SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°c (200 fan/ Gas 7) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt, bicarbonate of soda, and mixed spice.
• Rub the cubed cold butter in with your hands until you get a breadcrumb consistency.
• Stir in the sugar with a metal knife.
• Add the buttermilk to the flour, along with the chopped dates and walnuts. Use the metal knife to mix it in.
• Use your hands to form a dough, handling it as little as possible.
• Flour a worktop or wooden board and using your hands (no need for a rolling pin), shape it into a round, about 4cm thick.
• Use a biscuit cutter to stamp out the scones (try not to twist the cutter otherwise the tops will bake unevenly). Depending on the size of biscuit cutter, you should get around 8-10 scones from the recipe (I personally find a 5cm cutter works best). You'll need to reform the dough a few times to get the maximum amount of scones from the dough.
• Place the scones on a non-stick baking tray (you can line your baking tray if you wish) and glaze the tops with milk.
• Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes until the scones are well risen. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack with a cake slice.

WALNUT SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the flour, baking powder and a good pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the chopped walnuts and the milk, mix together using a cutlery knife until clumping together, then tip onto your work surface and squash together to form a ball - try not to work the dough too much or your scones will be heavy. Flatten the dough a little with your hand to make a disc roughly 3cm thick, then use a sharp knife to cut into 6 triangles.
• Transfer to a baking sheet, brush with a little beaten egg, then place a walnut half on each scone. Bake for 15 mins until golden and puffed, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with soft goat's cheese and fig jam, if you like.

OATMEAL DATE DROP SCONES

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together the milk, the egg, the brown sugar, and the vanilla until the mixture is combined well. In another bowl stir together the flour, the oats, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt and blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sir in the dates and the milk mixture until the mixture just forms a sticky dough. Drop the dough by 1/3-cup measures onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake the scones in the middle of a preheated 400°F. for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden. (Alternatively the scones may be dropped onto a hot greased griddle and cooked over moderate heat, turning them, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden on both sides and cooked through.)

DATE PECAN SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 12 x 18" (30 x 45 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the butter, both flours, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda into the bowl of a food processor (or use a pastry blender). Process until the mixture is very fine. Transfer to a large bowl and add the pecans and dates. Pour the cream and vanilla over the top. Mix with a fork until a crumbly dough forms.
• Turn onto a work surface. Press the mixture together very lightly - it should be fairly dry. Cut into twelve 2 1/2" rounds (7 cm) or eighteen 1 1/2" rounds (4 cm). Place on the prepared pan. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Serve warm. Best served the day they are made.

SPICED DATE & NUT SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly oil a baking sheet or mist with with nonstick cooking spray, and set it aside.
• Place the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, cardamom, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir them with a wire whisk until well combined.
• Stir in the dates and walnuts, making sure that the date pieces are coated with flour and do not stick together.
• Place the flaxseeds in a dry blender and grind them into a powder.
• Add the water and blend until a gummy mixture is achieved, about 30 seconds.
• Add the milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and process until frothy and well-blended, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour into the flour mixture and mix just until everything is evenly moistened.
• Using a 1/3 cup measure per scone,drop the batter in dollops onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between dollops.
• (you may need to scoop out the batter from the measuring cup with a spoon, rubber spatula, or your fingers.) Flatten the scones slightly into irregular shapes about 3 inches in diameter.
• Combine the sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Sprinkle the mixture generously over the top of the scones.
• Bake on the center shelf of the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.
• With a spatula, transfer the scones to a cooling rack.
• Serve hot or warm.
• Cool leftovers completely before storing in an airtight container in the refriderator for future use.