Perfect with your morning cuppa, these tender date scones are lightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. The natural sweetness of the dates as they bake practically melt into brown sugary sweet spots of goodness inside each scone, for a cinnamon brown sugar scone combo that is delightful.
Do you like dates? Not the go out for dinner and a movie kind. I’m talking about the sweet and small, grows on a tree kind of date. I have a lot of people tell me that they don’t really care for dates. But then when I let them try a baked good with dates baked inside, they change their minds.
That’s because something almost magical happens when you’re baking with chopped dates. The date fruit almost melts away until all you’re left with is brown sugary sweet spots inside. (The same thing happens with chopped dates in oatmeal and for this reason, I usually have a bag of chopped dates in my cupboard.)
What kind of dates go in date scones?
You can find prepackaged chopped dates which are quick and easy to use and make a great option. Or you can chop your own whole dates. The choice is up to you. Prepackaged chopped dates will generally have a light coating on them to keep them from sticking together as much.
Making date scones
- You’ll start by combining the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Next you’ll cut in the butter. Using a pastry blender, a fork or even your hands, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly and no large chunks of butter remain. You want the pieces of butter to be around pea-sized or smaller.
- Stir in the chopped dates.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the flour and stir until the dough just comes together. It’s super important not to overwork the dough.
- Turn the scone dough out onto a floured surface and give it just a couple kneads. Pat the dough into a 9 inch round and then cut into wedges. Or pat the dough out to about 1 inch thickness and cut with a floured biscuit cutter. (This is how I cut the scones in the photos.)
- Place the scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-22 minutes or until the tops and edges are golden brown.
Here are a few more of my favorite scone recipes:
Date Scones
Tender date scones are lightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. The natural sweetness of the dates as they bake practically melt into brown sugary sweet spots of goodness inside each scone.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold
- ¾ cup chopped dates
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or a piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, a fork or your hands, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly and no large chunks of butter remain. The pieces of butter should be pea sized or smaller.
- Stir the chopped dates into the flour mixture.
- In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the milk, Whisk in one egg and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Add this to the flour mixture, stirring just until it starts to come together into a ball.
- Turn the scone dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead the scone dough a few times. Pat the dough out to about 3/4 inch thickness and cut into rounds using a floured biscuit cutter.
- Alternately, you can pat the scone dough into a 9 inch round and then cut into 8 wedges.
- Place the cut scones onto the prepared baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-22 minutes or until the edges and tops are golden brown.
- Eat warm.
Notes
You can serve these with clotted cream or butter if desired.
Freezer instructions: To make and freeze these scones, follow the directions through the shaping and cutting, then wrap the scones tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 weeks. When you are ready to bake remove the scones from the freezer, preheat the oven, and simply place the partially frozen scones on the prepared baking sheet. Bake as directed. You may need to add a few minutes to the bake time.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 270mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
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