What's the secret to moist scones?
Don't overmix your dough. Overmixing or handling the dough too much can produce tough and dry scones. Mix the ingredients only until they are just combined. Use a light touch when shaping and cutting the dough.
Keep your butter and other dairy ingredients cold. Cold butter, when it melts in the oven, creates steam, contributing to the scones' flakiness and moisture. You can freeze the butter and grate it into the dry ingredients for better distribution.
Don't Overbake: Overbaking is a common culprit for dry scones.
How to make date and walnut scones
Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour
40g unsalted butter, chopped
3/4 cup pitted dates, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
150ml milk
1 free-range egg, beaten
1/2 cup pure icing sugar
2 tsp hot water
HONEY CINNAMON BUTTER
125g unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp Wild Nectar Orange Blossom Honey, plus extra, to drizzle
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
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Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
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Sift flour into a large bowl. Add butter. Rub in lightly using fingertips. Stir in dates, walnuts and sugar.
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Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in combined milk and egg, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Using a butter knife, mix quickly to a soft, sticky dough. Do not overmix.
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Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 16 x 12cm rectangle (approx. 3cm high). Using a floured knife, cut out 6 square-ish scones. Arrange close together on tray. Brush with reserved milk mixture.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes, until scones sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
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In a small bowl, combine icing sugar and enough hot water to create a thick icing. Drizzle icing over scones.
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For the Honey cinnamon butter, in a small bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat all ingredients together. Serve scones with honey cinnamon butter and drizzled with extra honey.