These quick vegan date and nutmeg scones are healthy, homely and naturally sweetened, with a flavour reminiscent of Welsh cakes.
Dates and a chopped apple provide the sweetness and olive oil is used in place of margarine. You could switch half the flour for wholemeal for an even healthier version.
While this is a really easy recipe, you do need to take care to work the dough as little as possible if you want well-risen scones. This batch of twenty little scones were made with a 5.5 cm cutter and expanded by about a centimetre in diameter and height during baking, which means they roughly doubled in volume.
As you can see, the results are pretty chaotic-looking, but that’s half the charm of this kind of baking!
date and nutmeg scones…
Ingredients
- 175 g chopped dates
- 1 small apple, cored and chopped (with skin on)
- 190 ml oat (or other non-dairy) milk
- 35 ml light olive oil
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 300 g self-raising flour (white/unbleached or a 50/50 mix with wholemeal)
- 1 scant tsp baking powder
- 1/2 a nutmeg, finely grated (or 1 tsp ground nutmeg)
method
- Set the oven to 200°C/400°F and lightly oil or line a large baking sheet (enough for 20 x 6.5 cm scones).
- Heat the milk until it is warm, not boiling, and add 75 g of chopped dates.
- Once the milk has cooled to room temperature, add the olive oil, vinegar and vanilla extract and blend using a stick blender or mini blender. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
- Add the nutmeg to the flour, followed by the apple (chopped fairly small) and the remaining 100g of chopped dates. Stir through until everything is evenly distributed.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the centre of the dry ingredients and using a metal table spoon, gently turn the mixture over until a sticky ball of dough is formed. Don’t mix any longer than you need to.
- Transfer the dough to a well floured board. Dust the top with a bit more flour and then pat it with your hands or very gently roll with a rolling pin until it is 1 to 1.5 inches thick.
- Cut rounds with a sharp cutter and transfer to the baking tray.
- Brush each scone with oat milk before baking for around fifteen minutes just above the middle of the oven. If you are making larger scones, adjust the time to suit. They will be golden brown when ready.
- They will store for a few days in a tin but are probably best eaten warm on the first day.
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