Date Nut Scones

Hi guys!

This week time is flying. I don't even know where the days are going with the learning and everything, so I was looking for some relaxation in baking. There is nothing like the smell of cake or any baked good, a cookie, brownies or scones for that matter while baking and once they're fresh out of the oven. So I turned to the newest addition to my cookbook range, a book from Cynthia Barcomi simply titled "Baking Book" that I brought with me form Berlin. Skipping through the pages, I decided to give her scones a try and since I have had leftover hazelnuts from my Christmas baking and dates, the recipe for Date Nut Scones seemed to be just perfect. Here it is:

315g (11 oz; 2 cups + 1 tablespoon) all-purpose plain flour
50g (1.7 oz; 1/4 cup) sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest of one lemon
125g (1 stick; 4.4 oz) butter, straight from the fridge
80ml (1/3 cup; 2 1/2 fl.oz) milk
1 teaspoon golden syrup or sugar cane syrup
1 egg
55g (2 oz) nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios)
120g (4.2 oz) dates of figs

1) Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

2) Roast the nuts in a pan until they start peeling, then chop them coarsely. Chop the dates as well. 

3) Mix the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a bowl. Cut the butter in small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with your fingers until the mixture starts looking crumbly or with a kitchen machine. 

4) Mix the milk, syrup and egg and add to the flour-butter-mixture. Blend until the ingredients are just combined. 

5) Fold in the chopped dates and nuts. Turn onto a flour-dusted work surface and roll to a circle of a about 20cm (8 inches) and 2cm (1 inch) thick. Either cut eight rounds from the circle using a glass or cut the circle into 8 equal pieces like you would cut a cake. 

6) Bake for about 18-22 minutes until the scones have started to turn golden-brown. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
© Copyright: Cynthia Barcomi "Backbuch", p. 48.

Yield: 8 scones
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 50 minutes

Here's how mine turned out:

I left mine in the oven for 20 minutes. They might be a little bit dry and crumbly eaten on their own, but I just love them plain. If you'd like to add a little moisture, you could have butter or marmelade (I imagine orange marmelade would be heavenly) with them or even whipped cream. If you'd like your scones smaller, you can cut the dough in more pieces. 

Have fun trying!