I’ve found another favorite scone! This Date Scone with Almonds is flaky, filling, and delicious. And it all happened by accident. I was planning to bake currant scones and had all of the ingredients ready—except for the currants. Normally, I have an extra box in my pantry. Instead, I saw packages of dates. Why not try date scones? And as I added the dates to my usual scone batter, I thought that I should also add nuts. Typically, I would add pecans or walnuts, but they would have to be chopped. Instead, I remembered that I have slivered almonds as well as whole ones. The extra half-cup of almonds gives these scones a crisp, nutty flavor that does not overpower the dates.
Date Scones with Almonds
1 and 1/3 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
rounded 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped dates (about 6 oz. of whole dates, chopped)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Whisk sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a small bowl, mix egg, cream, and vanilla.
Cut butter into dry ingredients with pastry blender. Add egg mixture, stirring with a fork until just mixed. Add dates and almonds, and knead in the bowl about 10 to 15 times. Batter will be dry; do not add liquid.
On a large greased cookie sheet (or use a silicon non-stick baking mat without grease on your cookie sheet), place all of the dough in the center, patting it to 1” thickness. Then cut into wedges with a butter knife or plastic spatula (if using a non-stick baking sheet), sliding them into place on the cookie sheet. Don’t worry if they break—just push them back into shape with your fingers.
Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. (Convection oven: 400 degrees for 8 minutes, and then turn the oven off for 5 minutes.) Yield: 8 scones. Freezes well.
***
I’ve made this recipe twice in the past two weeks. I shared it with my Osher class on gluten-free cooking. To have more to share, I cut the scones into very small pieces, so that each recipe yielded about 24 mini scones. I cooked them about a minute less, and they tasted just as good.
Date Scones with Almonds
1 and 1/3 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
rounded 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped dates (about 6 oz. of whole dates, chopped)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Whisk sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a small bowl, mix egg, cream, and vanilla.
Cut butter into dry ingredients with pastry blender. Add egg mixture, stirring with a fork until just mixed. Add dates and almonds, and knead in the bowl about 10 to 15 times. Batter will be dry; do not add liquid.
On a large greased cookie sheet (or use a silicon non-stick baking mat without grease on your cookie sheet), place all of the dough in the center, patting it to 1” thickness. Then cut into wedges with a butter knife or plastic spatula (if using a non-stick baking sheet), sliding them into place on the cookie sheet. Don’t worry if they break—just push them back into shape with your fingers.
Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. (Convection oven: 400 degrees for 8 minutes, and then turn the oven off for 5 minutes.) Yield: 8 scones. Freezes well.
***
I’ve made this recipe twice in the past two weeks. I shared it with my Osher class on gluten-free cooking. To have more to share, I cut the scones into very small pieces, so that each recipe yielded about 24 mini scones. I cooked them about a minute less, and they tasted just as good.
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