ORANGE BLOSSOM DATE SCONES

Inspired by Francesca Bridgerton (and her beau): elegant, full of surprising depth

Recipe Source: Binge and Bake
Quantity: 12 scones
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 15–19 minutes

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Ingredients

• 3 cups (360 grams) All Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¾ teaspoon Table Salt
• ⅓ cup (67 grams) Granulated Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Orange Zest
• ¾ cup (129 grams) chopped Dates
• ¾ cup (1.5 sticks or 170 grams) Unsalted Butter, cold
• 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon (212 grams) Buttermilk, cold
• 1 teaspoon Orange Blossom Water

Topping

• 1 teaspoon Orange Blossom Water
• 2 tablespoons Milk
• 1 cup (120 grams) Powdered Sugar

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix buttermilk and orange blossom water together and set aside.
• To a different bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and orange zest and stir thoroughly.
• Grate butter into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Coat the butter sticks in the dry mixture for easier handling. Stop a few times to toss the butter shreds with the flour so it doesn’t all stick to itself. No need to break the butter up any more, just separate and coat.
• Add dates and gently toss to combine.
• Add buttermilk/orange blossom water and stir just until shaggy clumps form and all of the flour looks moistened. If the dough is dry, add buttermilk one tablespoon at a time to correct.
• Lightly flour kitchen counter. Pour dough onto the counter and gently knead the dough 2–3 times, just enough so that it all holds together.
• Pat the dough into a roughly 8” x 6” rectangle. Cut into 12 pieces, cutting straight down using a sharp knife. Place scones on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Place the scones in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Bake until golden brown, around 15–19 minutes. Remove scones from pan onto cooling rack.
• Make the glaze: In a small mixing bowl, stir together the orange blossom water, milk and powdered sugar. Drizzle over warm scones.
• Scones are best eaten the same day or can be frozen.
• To reheat baked scones from frozen: place scones on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes in a 350F oven.

Make ahead: You can also refrigerate or freeze and bake later. Wrap unbaked scones tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for no more than 2 days or freeze the dough for up to 1 month.

• To bake scones from the refrigerator: place scones on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 17–20 minutes.
• To bake scones from frozen: place scones on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 17–20 minutes.