My kingdom for another scone…

Date scones

Scones are the unsung heroes of the baking world, often ignored in favour of their more glamorous cake cousins. They aren't ornately decorated and with their squat, brown exterior and small size, they are easily overshadowed by the luscious gateau sitting next to them on the countertop. Scones are, however, one of the most adaptable and speedy of all the baked goods. Much like bread in their versatility, scones are far quicker and easier to make, meaning you can go from concept ('oooh I'd love a scone') to finished product (satisfied smile and happy tummy) in less than an hour.

There are countless varieties of scones (different shapes and flavour combinations) but in essence, only three basic types. There’s Posh Scone; a small, fluffy number found in the rarefied surrounds of exclusive hotels, served on pretty tiered plates at Afternoon Tea and accompanied by homemade jam and a dollop of clotted cream. A more common sight is Breakfast or Elevenses Scone; larger than the posh version and traditionally available in two types, plain or fruit. This scone is generally purchased in newsagents or garages (scone quality: substandard) or in coffee shops (scone quality: variable). The more refined Foodie Scone makes an appearance in some of the more upmarket cafés, bakeshops and farmers' markets, a freshly baked offering that is often as good as homemade. In addition to the usual plain or fruit construct, the Foodie Scone is notable for its variety; it can appear as a sweet scone (e.g. pear & almond or white chocolate & cranberry) or as a savoury morsel incorporating different cheeses, olives and herbs (and as you might expect, the ingredients should be artisanal and local in order to score maximum points on the Foodie Scone Scene).

 The traditional scone mixture (flour, raising agent, butter, sugar and milk) is a simple one. As with a basic bread recipe, the scone is in essence a vehicle to carry or sit alongside other flavours. So a plain scone might be a little bland on its own, but add a spread of good salted butter and suddenly it becomes a tasty snack, while a small dollop of jam elevates it to teatime treat. If you substitute some of the white for wholemeal flour, the scone can be a healthy accompaniment to a bowl of soup or a cheeseboard. But by far the best way to vary your scone is to add something new to the mix before baking. Most often the addition will be dried fruit (raisins or sultanas) in the case of a sweet scone or cheddar cheese in a wholemeal or savoury scone, but you can really please yourself here (if you love chocolate, then a chocolate scone it is). You can also enrich the basic recipe with cream and egg, thus creating a scone that has one toe dipped firmly in the realm of cake (still very much a scone but less fluffy and light, with a tender, more cake-like crumb). The enriched scone is luxurious and infinitely more filling that the regular one, as you'll know if you've ever eaten a scone purchased from Avoca (delicious but a meal in itself quite frankly).

Glorious Apple Scone Round

One of the lesser-spotted scones, but my favourite by far, is the apple scone. My mam used to make it alot when we were younger, but until recently the recipe had languished forgotten in the good ol' Hamlyn All-Colour Cook Book. It's traditionally baked as one large round, with lines scored into the top of it before baking, and then cut or broken into triangles to serve. The recipe doesn't contain cinnamon, but I think that would make a lovely variation on the original, given its natural affinity with apples. You can treat it like a normal scone and spread it with butter but the additional moisture of the apple means that it is equally good without. The tartness of the apple also sits nicely against the sweetness of the scone, with the soft texture and crunchy sugar topping providing a lovely contrast.

Apple scone mid-devouring

Since its relaunch at my Birthday Festival, the apple scone has been making regular appearances at various family get-togethers, to much applause by all concerned. I can't recommend it enough (recipe for you to try can be found below). But before I go, just a quick update on the date scene… sorry, I mean the date scone (slip of the keyboard, so to speak). I love the versatility of the English language don’t you? One quick letter change in the word 'scene' and all of a sudden an exciting account of my love life becomes another dull treatise on scones (I'll keep it brief, I promise). Third time lucky and I think I've cracked it - I went with my baker's instinct and used an egg in the recipe, thus getting the texture I was looking for. In addition to chopped dates, I also used a homemade date syrup instead of sugar (basically dates soaked in water then whizzed up), which gave me both the colour and toffee-ish taste that I'd been missing. So the Mystery of the Date Scone has been solved once and for all. Scooby, Shaggy and the gang have nothing on me.
Apple Scones (recipe by Mary Berry in the Hamlyn All-Colour Cookbook)
1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
8 ozs self-raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon baking powder
2 ozs butter
2 ozs caster sugar
scant ¼ pint milk

Sift together flour salt and baking powder, rub in the butter. Add the sugar and apple, mix to a soft but not sticky dough with the milk. Roll out onto a floured table, 8" round and ¼ " thick. Mark the top into 8 wedges, brush with a little milk and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake in a 200 C fan oven for 20-25 minutes on a greased baking sheet. Serve warm with butter.

Date Scones (recipe by yours truly)
75g chopped dates
500g plain flour
75g salted butter
4 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons bicarb of soda
3 - 4 heaped tablespoons date syrup (soak approximately 150g of ordinary dried dates in hot water for about an hour then whizz up in the blender - it gives more than you need but the rest will keep in the fridge and can be added to porridge or natural yoghurt). If you prefer, you can simply use 50g muscovado sugar, but you will lose some of the caramel flavour and of course, the date syrup is a more nutritious sweetener.
1 egg
250-300ml milk

Sift together flour, bicarb and cream of tartar, and rub in the butter. Add the sugar if using it instead of the syrup and the chopped dates. Blend 250ml of the milk with the egg and date syrup and add to the dry ingredients, mixing to a soft but not sticky dough (you may need to add the remaining 50ml of milk if the mixture is too dry). Roll out onto a floured surface, 3mm thick, and cut using a round scone cutter (a large cutter will yield 9 scones). Brush with a little milk and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake in a 200 C fan oven for 12-18 minutes on a greased baking sheet. Serve warm with butter.