These Medjool Date and Orange Scones are soft, buttery and full of autumn spices. There is tang from the orange, sweetness from the medjool dates and a crunchy top of glistening sugar. You'll definitely want one of these with your morning cup of coffee!
I've been writing a bit about coffee lately on The Worktop, and today I wanted to share something that goes perfectly with that cup of joe in the morning - Medjool Date and Orange Scones.
These Date and Orange Scones have the perfect texture
With every sip of coffee, you'll be thankful these scones are there for you to take a bite. Ever since I made these Medjool Date and Orange Scones, every time I think of coffee, I think of these scones.
And every time I think of these scones, I go make myself a pot of coffee. Wonderful cycle, isn't it? My favorite is with a pour over coffee.
You can use different types of oranges in this scones recipe
I call these Medjool Date and "Orange" scones, even though you can make them with clementines, mandarins, tangerines or just plain oranges.
For the latest batch, I used clementines and I loved it. It gave the scones a lighter flavor with a little bit more tang. But because clementines are much smaller and have a thinner layer of zest, you'll need more clementines (about 3 clementines). Also, be careful not to zest too much of the pith (the white part between the peel and the orange) because pith tends to be bitter.
Each bite of date and orange scone is filled with spices
The flavors in these Medjool Date and Orange Scones immediately make me think of fall and winter. They are festive with cloves and cinnamon, and citrus fruits are just about to come into full season.
The crunchy sugar on top also glistens a bit - so set them out next to the holiday garlands.
The scones might look a bit dark when you take them out of the oven. But that bit of extra time in the oven will give the tops a perfect crunch.
You'll also need to brush egg yolk on the tops to help the scones get the rich color.
I love using a silicone pastry brush for this step this because you can brush the egg evenly, and it's easy to clean (in the dishwasher!)
And don't skimp on the sugar on top. Not only is it beautiful when it glistens, the inside of the scones are not too sweet, so the sugar on top adds some necessary sweetness to the scones.
Tips for making delicious orange scones
Orange scones can be tricky to make, so I just wanted to leave you with my top two tips.
- Make sure you don't overwork the scone dough - handle it as little as possible; and
- Make sure all the ingredients are cold when you start
To keep all the ingredients are very very cold while you make this Date and Orange Scone recipe, you can even refrigerate the bowl of dry ingredients before adding the butter.
Medjool Date and Orange Scones
Print Recipe Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (385 grams)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (70 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (zest from about 1 orange or 3 clementines)
- 4 large medjool dates (130 grams) - pitted and chopped
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 grams) - cut into about 10 pieces
- ½ cup buttermilk (120 grams)
- ½ cup creme fraiche (120 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk - lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons turbinado (demerara) sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer on low speed, mix all the dry ingredients, orange zest and chopped medjool dates together, about 10 seconds.
- Scatter the butter on top and beat on low speed until the butter is somewhat broken down, but there are still pieces about the size of marbles remaining, about 30 seconds.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, creme fraiche and whole egg.
- Using the hand mixer on low speed, pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour and butter mixture. Beat until the batter just comes together, but there are still pockets of flour, about 20 seconds. Using your hands, gather the dough and turn the dough several times, until all the loose flour is just mixed in. The dough will be very loose and sticky. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
- Dump the dough onto a baking sheet and pat into an 8-inch (20-cm) diameter circle, about 1 inch (2 ½-cm) thick. Brush the entire top of the dough with the egg yolk. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the top (it may seem like a lot of sugar, but you'll love the crunchy top once it is done baking). Cut the circle into 8 wedges, as if cutting a pizza. Do not separate.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the entire top of the circle is a rich golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Cut into the prescored wedges, which will have baked together, and serve.
Pamela says
I made these this morning on a last-minute request from my church. The first person who ate one said it was the best I've made; and I make lots of scones. They looked beautiful and smelled heavenly. I did not have creme fraiche so substituted sour cream. A keeper for sure!!!
Liz says
OK. I have just made a batch and these are AWESOME! I used to buy Date and Orange Scones from cafes and suffer from scone envy .... but not any more. In fact, this recipe produces a product far superior to any cafe scones I have had. Love it, Love it ..... LOVE IT! This recipe is a keeper and I will bring it out when I want to impress. Thank you for sharing.
Tina Jui says
So happy to hear!!! Keep on baking :D
Liz says
I might be missing it .... but what temperature do you bake these at? I'm about to throw a batch in the oven and am guessing 200 celcius which is usual for scones .... but 50mins seems a long time at this temperature.
Tina Jui says
Hi Liz, I'm so glad to see your message that you enjoyed the scones! The temperature I bake at is 175 celsius, but did you give it a try at 200 celsius? I've updated the recipe to include the temperature. I'm so sorry it wasn't there when you were baking it.
Liz says
I defaulted to 180°C which is the standard temperature for most things. I checked them at 35 minutes and they were done. This really is a fantastic recipe ...... and bless you for sharing it!
Tina Jui says
Thanks and I'm so glad you like it!
Annabel says
Great recipe - thank you so much. I made these scones today and they were absolutely divine !
Tina Jui says
I'm so happy to hear! Thanks for letting me know. Enjoy!
Teresa jui says
Gee that's amazing so different from blueberries. I am going to make it this weekend and hope to turn out like your one.
nicole (thespicetrain.com) says
Gorgeous! I could go for one or three of these beauties right now. Thank you for sharing, Tina! :)
Tina Jui says
Thanks, Nicole. You're lucky that the recipe makes 8 scones :D
Catherine says
Dear Tina, these scones look beautiful! What a fabulous treat with tea or coffee. I wish I had one this afternoon. xo, Catherine
Christine says
Yep. I only made scones once and I overdid it. They were a little too chewy because I overworked the dough. High time I try again, though!
Tina Jui says
Hi Christine - Yes, just make sure to be really gentle with the dough. Handle it as little as possible, and keep it as cool as possible! Have fun making scones again :)
Alida says
Love your breakfast date and orange scones and your photos are really nice! This is certainly perfect for breakfast, what a nice way to wake up :-)
Tina Jui says
Thank you, Alida! Knowing I have these scones ready to eat definitely gets me out of bed.