Date Scones

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Date Scones

Date scones are an Aussie classic, perfect as a sweet treat any time. Mine are inspired by Matt Moran’s date scone recipe in Australian Food, which is in turn inspired by the scones his Nan Valda used to make. The dates and mixed spice make them so tasty I don’t think they need jam or cream, just lashings of butter, but feel free to disagree. I love them with a glass of slightly sweet Spanish vermut (vermouth) like Lustau Rojo with its hints of orange peel and spice. If you like dates, you’ll also love my date and walnut roll, another old-school Aussie classic sweet treat.

Makes 8

Ingredients
  • 300g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting (10½oz)
  • 1 tablespoon castor sugar (18g/¾oz)
  • ½ teaspoon mixed spice
  • Pinch salt flakes, crushed
  • 50g cold butter, diced (1¾oz)
  • 220ml milk, plus extra for brushing (just under 1 cup)
  • 150g pitted dates, finely chopped (5¼oz)
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 240°C (465°F).
  2. Sift flour into a bowl.
  3. Add sugar, mixed spice, salt and butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until there aren’t any lumps.
  4. Make a well in the centre, add milk and dates use a pastry scraper or hard spatula to cut them into the flour to form a soft sticky dough.
  5. Turn onto a well-floured bench, dust the top and your hands with flour, and pat the dough into a 3cm-thick rectangle (about 1¼″).
  6. Use a pastry scraper or hard spatula to cut it into eighths, pressing all the way through.
  7. Reassemble it as a rectangle on a baking paper-lined baking tray.
  8. Brush the top with milk.
  9. Place in the oven, reduce temperature to 200°C (400°F) and bake for about 20 minutes, until well-browned.
  10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool a little.
  11. Serve date scones warm with butter.
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