Warm from the oven, these Date & Orange Scones are lightly sweet, fluffy and full of fresh citrus flavour. They’re a lovely winter afternoon treat, served with butter, orange marmalade or a drizzle of honey.

Makes 8 scones

Ingredients:

• 3 cups plain flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 50g cold butter, cubed or grated
• 1 cup dates, roughly chopped
• Zest of 1 orange
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 egg
   

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
3. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. Stir through the caster sugar, dates and orange zest.
5. In a separate jug, whisk together the orange juice, milk and egg.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined using a cutlery knife. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the scones tough.
7. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together. Pat into a round approximately 3cm thick.
8. Cut into 8 wedges and place onto the prepared tray.
9. Brush the tops with a little extra milk and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Transfer to a wire rack and serve warm.