Maple Date Scones

I own very, very few cookbooks (I can count 3 off the top of my head), which is sort of a weird thing. It's not that I'm not into them, because I love flipping through them, looking at all the gorgeous photos, finding inspiration from some amazingly creative and talented people, and getting a sense of the unique personality behind each book. And if I could, I would just buy all the ones that inspire me, keep them on a huge bookshelf in my kitchen, and peruse them when I'm lacking ideas, or just whenever I feel like looking through stunning, mouthwatering food photos. It'd be like having my very own Instagram feed in print, with stories and recipes to go with it.

this recipe

The only issue is that I almost never actually try the recipes I see in cookbooks. Ideally, I'd like to try them all, but when I'm constantly working to come up with new material for the blog, the other stuff gets put indefinitely on the back burner. And since I am just a 22-year-old who's fresh out of college and not exactly rolling in $$$, that gigantic cookbook collection that's purely for indulging my eyes probably won't become a reality anytime soon.

One of the few cookbooks I actually a) own, and b) have used, is from Rose Bakery, one of my favorite bakeries in Paris. (The book is called Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery for anyone who might be interested.) Every once in a while I flip through it for inspiration, and that's how these Maple Date Scones came to be. Two recipes on a single page became one idea for scones that's also - without a doubt - one of the best scone ideas EVER.

These scones are flaky and buttery like any classic scone should be, but they have this flavor complexity that's totally unique. It starts out with a nuttier base than your average scone thanks to the addition of whole wheat (pastry) flour and rolled oats, and then there's all this richness from plump medjool dates, pure maple syrup, and flecks of sweet cinnamon. They're brushed with a maple cream glaze before baking, which turns into this incredible toffee-like flavor in the oven and puts the the whole thing over the top. And I promise, this will completely transform your opinion of dates AND maple syrup if you're not into either (or both) of them. My mom, who can't stand maple syrup, loved them, and my sister, who won't even consider eating a date, devoured them. Even my two-year-old cousin was munching on them like crazy. You guys - these are SO a must-try.

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Maple Date Scones

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These flaky, buttery scones are studded with rich, sweet dates and topped with a maple cream glaze for a toffee-like flavor.

• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 10-11 scones 1x

Ingredients

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• 8 ½ ounces (2 cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
• 3 ⅛ ounces (¾ cup, spoon and level) whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 ⅜ ounces (½ cup) old-fashioned oats, (preferably toasted*)
• 2 tablespoons, packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (½ cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen and cubed
• 5 ½ ounces (1 cup, halved and packed in) pitted medjool dates, chopped
• 8 ¼ ounces (1 cup) heavy cream
• 2 ¾ ounces (¼ cup) pure maple syrup

Glaze

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

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Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until all pieces are small. Toss in chopped dates to disperse.
3. Whisk the cream and maple syrup together and fold into the dough just until you can bring it all together. You may need to use your hands, and if the dough seems especially dry, you can add a bit more cream. Dough should be soft yet firm, and not sticky.
4. Pat dough into a 1" thick round on the prepared baking sheet. Cut into individual scones with a 2 ½" cookie/biscuit cutter, flouring cutter between each cut. Briefly ball up scraps, flatten, and cut remaining scones as needed.
5. Spread scones out on baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Towards the end of this time, preheat oven to 400ºF.
6. Whisk maple syrup and cream together for glaze. Just before baking, brush scones with mixture. (Use it all!) Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
7. Scones are best served warm on the day they're baked.** Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

*To toast oats, spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes, until fragrant. Allow to cool before using.

**If desired, the cut, unbaked scones can be kept in the freezer until solid. Transfer to a zip-top, freezer-safe back and keep frozen until ready to bake. Baking time will be longer; just bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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