Have you ever eaten a fresh scone from the oven? With its flaky dough and crunchy crust? And that buttery flavor and subtle sweetness? If yes, you know why I finally had to put a recipe for scones on my site. If you never had a scone before (it is not very well-known in Germany), then you have to try it.
Traditional scones, mostly know as a tea time treat in the UK, are plain and eaten with jam and clotted cream (cream but even richer). And they are delicious. But I like them even better when they include some dried fruit. The first time I had a scone was when I was traveling in Australia. There was this one bakery that had these delicious date scones. And I was immediately obsessed about them.
I had almost forgotten about these delicious treats. It wasn’t until I browsed through my cookbooks the other day and found several scone recipes in King Arthur‘s Whole Grain Baking. I knew I had to bake some. So I came up with the perfect union of everything I love about scones: Oat and Date Scones. They are flaky as traditional scones, include dates for some sweetness and texture, and oat and whole grain flour for extra nourishment.
The key to making perfect oat and date scones (or any scones for that matter) is to not overwork the dough. Instead of fully incorporating the butter into the dough, you want small pockets of butter to remain. Like in pastry dough, this will create the flakiness of the scone.
These scones don’t even need jam or clotted cream, but if you like you can spread some butter or even cream cheese on top.
I do recommend eating them fresh when they come out of the oven. Because that’s when they taste the best. Otherwise, I’d recommend freezing them. You can do that either before or after baking – both will work. That way you’ll have always fresh scones at hand. And they make the perfect breakfast treat on a weekend.
If you are looking for other breakfast inspiration check out the recipe for chocolate babka or these sugar-free coconut pancakes.
Have fun baking!
Love,
Marion
Oat and Date Scones
Ingredients
- 135g (1 1/2 cups) whole grain flour - I used spelt flour
- 90g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 40g (3 tablespoons) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 115g (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter
- 100g (2/3 cup) dates, chopped
- 30g (1/3 cup) oats
- 1 organic free-range egg
- 115ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Milk for brushing the tops
- Coarse sugar for sprinkling
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2 If you have a food processor, add the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it resembles fine bread crumbs (you should still be able to see small pockets of butter).
- Step 3 If you don’t have a food processor, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients and rub them between your fingers until you reach a breadcrumb-like consistency. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
- Step 4 Add the dates and oats and stir with a fork to mix them in.
- Step 5 In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir quickly with a fork until the dough just comes together.
- Step 6 Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Again, don’t overwork it.
- Step 7 With your fingers, pat it into a circle about 3cm/1inch thick. Take a round cookie cutter and tap it sharply so that it goes straight through the dough (do not twist). Cut as many as you can and place them on the baking sheet. Knead the remaining dough together again and repeat.
- Step 8 Brush the scones with some milk, sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional) and bake in the upper half of the oven for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Step 9 Serve warm with some butter or plain.
These were so delicious – thank you!
I am so happy to hear that!
These were lovely! Thankyou for the recipe. I used trim milk and made my own buttermilk with white vinegar. I also used erythritol instead of sugar and made the triangle version scones as I don’t own a cutter, which is so easy I think I’ll cut all future scones that way. Thanks again! 🥰🙏🏼