Baking · Do-ahead

Oh sooo easy date and orange Scones.

This café favorite is so easy to make at home. The trick to baking fluffy scones is not to overwork the mix once you add the flour. That’s why I always stir the mix with a knife – it keeps the action light.

Recipe by New Zealand cookbook writer, Annabel Langbein

Ready in 30 mins
Makes 12 large scones

Finely grated zest of 1 orange
3 cups self-raising flour or gluten-free self-raising flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
3oz (75g) chilled butter, grated
2 cups pitted dates, chopped
1¾ cups buttermilk or natural yoghurt
icing sugar (powdered sugar), to dust (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F/200°C fan bake. Line an oven tray with baking paper and lightly dust with
flour.

Combine orange zest, flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add the butter and use a knife or your fingertips to work into the flour mixture to a coarse crumb. Mix in the chopped dates.

Add the buttermilk or yoghurt and stir with a knife until the mixture just comes together into a soft, wettish dough. (do not over-mix)

Turn out onto prepared tray and flatten into a circle about 10″/25cm in diameter. Cut into 12 wedges – like the spokes of a wheel- and rearrange with a little room in between so they can rise .

Bake until risen, fully set in the centre and lightly golden (about 20 minutes).
Dust with icing sugar before serving, if desired.