Date & Walnut Scones
Recipe originally appeared here
Date - Walnut Scones
Makes 8 scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup dried Medjool dates (about 10 dates), chopped into blueberry-sized bits
½ cup walnuts, chopped small
¾ cup half-and-half
1 large egg, separated
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375º. In a food processor, pulse together flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until it is chopped into coarse, pea-sized lumps within the flour (work quickly so butter doesn't melt).
Transfer mixture to a big bowl and stir in dates and walnuts. Whisk together half-and-half, yolk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir gently into flour mixture. Dough should be shaggy, but if you feel it is just not coming together, add a few drops of milk or cream until it does.
Move mixture to a floured surface and gently knead until it forms a unified mass (do not overwork). Fold dough over onto itself like a book, then again, then pat into a circle about 7 ½ inches across. Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
Lightly beat egg white with fork and brush some of it on top of the dough. Next, sprinkle remainder of sugar on top. Cut round into eight evenly sized wedges (like a pizza), but don’t separate.
Bake scones about 30-35 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and underneath. *Important*: carefully separate them to check interiors, and if they still look underdone, separate scones and bake for 5 more minutes or so. They should be tender and moist but not soggy inside.