DATE SCONES

There’s nothing that says rural Australia more than a scone – they make me think of small town shows and the Country Women’s Association. Make sure to have a light touch when you’re bringing your dough together – if you overwork it, the scones will be heavy and definitely not show-worthy! These date-filled beauties are as close as I can get to the ones my nan Valda used to make. Be sure to serve them warm.

Preparation Time 10 minutes | Cooking Time 12 minutes | Makes 8–10 scones

350 g (12 oz/2¹/₃ cups) self-raising flour

2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for dusting

½ teaspoon mixed spice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small dice

175 ml (5½ fl oz) milk

1 egg

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

180 g (6½ oz/1 cup) dried dates, pitted and cut into quarters

1 lightly beaten egg yolk, for brushing

Jam and clotted cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Sieve the flour, sugar, mixed spice and a pinch of salt together into a bowl, add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour. Make a well in the centre of the flour.

Mix the milk, egg and orange zest in a separate bowl to combine, then pour into the well. Add the dates and mix lightly to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, roll to 5 cm (2 inches) thick, then cut out rounds with a 7 cm (3 inch) diameter pastry cutter. Re-roll the scraps once and repeat. Place the scones on the tray, brush the tops with the egg yolk and dust with sugar.

Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden brown and serve warm with jam and clotted cream.