Date Scones

This week I have been making wholemeal scones including my favourite wholemeal sweet scone – Date Scones.

Use whole dates for Date Scones

When making Date Scones I always use whole dates sold for snacking rather than the stoned dates sold as a baking ingredient as they are much softer and moister. It’s very quick and easy to remove the stones and is well worth the effort.

Substitute ingredients for Date Scones

I use black treacle but if you don’t have this you can substitute 2 ounces / 60 grams of soft dark brown sugar. Just add it with the flour.

If you don’t have buttermilk you can use sour milk. You can make it easily by adding the juice of a lemon to one pint of milk and letting it stand for approximately 10 minutes.

How to make the perfect wholemeal Date Scones

I found that using all wholemeal flour makes very heavy scones and I got the best results using half wholemeal flour and half plain white flour. I also found that using bicarbonate of soda instead of baking powder gave lighter results. However, bicarbonate of soda must be combined with buttermilk or sour milk and not fresh milk. This is because it is the reaction of the soda with the lactic acid in the buttermilk or sour milk which causes the scones to rise.

Ingredients you will need to make Date Scones

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• 8 ounces / 225 grams wholemeal flour
• 8 ounces / 225 grams plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 4 ounces / 115 grams salted butter (softened)
• 8 ounces / 225 grams dates
• 2 tablespoons black treacle
• Approx. 10 fluid ounces / 300 ml buttermilk or sour milk

Directions

1. Sift the flours and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl. Some bran may remain in the sieve from the wholemeal flour – tip this into the bowl.
2. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Remove the stones from the dates and cut into smallish pieces.
4. Stir the dates into the rubbed in mixture.
5. Stir the treacle into the buttermilk or sour milk. It helps to warm the treacle slightly by standing the tin in hot water before measuring your 2 tablespoons.
6. Make a well in the centre of your dry mixture and add the liquid stirring to form a soft dough. You may need to add a little buttermilk or sour milk.
7. Tip the dough out onto a well floured working surface and knead lightly until smooth.
8. Pat out to about 1 ½ inch / 4 cm thick and cut out using a round metal cutter. Do not roll out.
9. You should get about 8 scones with a 2 ½ inch / 6.5 cm cutter.
10. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and brush the tops with milk.
11. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220°C / 200C Fan / Gas Mark 7 / 425°F for approximately 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
12. Cool wrapped in a clean tea towel or serve hot straight from the oven.

Date Scones

Recipe by Scones Plus More Course: SnackCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces / 225 grams wholemeal flour

• 8 ounces / 225 grams plain flour

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 4 ounces / 115 grams salted butter (softened)

• 8 ounces / 225 grams dates

• 2 tablespoons black treacle

• Approx. 10 fluid ounces / 300 ml buttermilk or sour milk

Directions

• Sift the flours and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl. Some bran may remain in the sieve from the wholemeal flour – tip this into the bowl.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Remove the stones from the dates and cut into smallish pieces.
• Stir the dates into the rubbed in mixture.
• Stir the treacle into the buttermilk or sour milk. It helps to warm the treacle slightly by standing the tin in hot water before measuring your 2 tablespoons.
• Make a well in the centre of your dry mixture and add the liquid stirring to form a soft dough. You may need to add a little buttermilk or sour milk.
• Tip the dough out onto a well floured working surface and knead lightly until smooth.
• Pat out to about 1 ½ inch / 4 cm thick and cut out using a round metal cutter. Do not roll out.
• You should get about 8 scones with a 2 ½ inch / 6.5 cm cutter.
• Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and brush the tops with milk.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220°C / 200C Fan / Gas Mark 7 / 425°F for approximately 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
• Cool wrapped in a clean tea towel or serve hot straight from the oven.

Date Scones serving suggestions

Date Scones are delicious straight from the oven dripping with butter.

If you like your scones with clotted cream allow them to cool and serve with clotted cream and a little treacle, or with clotted cream and honey.

I like them cold with butter and cheese. I had one for my lunch with some Duddleswell Cheese, a cheese made with sheep milk from High Weald Dairy – a local Sussex dairy – and it was absolutely delicious. Try one with your favourite cheese.

Happy Baking!

Tanya