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.