A breakfast treat your family and friends will never forget. The aroma of hot scones just coming out of the oven is like nothing else. (And yes, ¼ cup baking powder is correct – there are no eggs in this recipe, and baking powder is the only raising agent.) I always have mascarpone cheese lightened with cream and flavored with orange zest on the side. I’ve added Arabic flavors to this well-known British pastry. It will make you a morning person again.
MAKES: 16 scones
INGREDIENTS:
- 4½ cups flour
- 1 cup unsalted cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup baking powder
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- zest of 1 orange
- 2 cups pitted and chopped dates
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup milk
- eggwash (2 eggs beaten with 1 tbsp milk)
- muscovado sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl put the flour and cold butter cubes. Using your fingers and working fast to keep the mixture cold, rub the butter into the flour until you get a crumbly consistency. Add the sugar, baking powder, cardamom, nutmeg, orange zest and the dates.
- Mix with your hands to distribute evenly. Pour in the cream and milk and mix with a spatula using a light hand. A light touch ensures that the scones will be light and fluffy. Turn out the soft, sticky dough on a floured surface. Fold over the dough a couple of times to shape into a square, dusting with a little flour. Roll out to about a 1-inch thickness. I use a 2-inch-square cookie cutter to cut the scones, but feel free to use other shapes. Gather the remaining dough, reroll and cut. Lay scones on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, keeping them 1 inch apart. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle each scone with the muscovado sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until puffed and golden on top. They are sweet enough to eat plain. Delicious with mascarpone spread, jam or honey.
MASCARPONE CHEESE SPREAD:
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- zest of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp honey
- Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve alongside the hot scones.
