Incredibly Soft Date & Ginger Scones

I'm really excited to share this date scone recipe with you Dear Reader! These soft and fluffy date and ginger scones are one of the most delicious and easy scones you can make! I think they're one of the best scones I've ever made (also judging from the reaction from my usually scone apathetic friends and family).

This is another pushy recipe courtesy of one of my loveliest readers Robbie who gifted me with a Sicilian Pear and Chocolate Cake recipe among other recipes. I did fiddle with these date scones but minimally, just adding some crystallised ginger to the combination. Okay I also added a salted maple drizzle on top because I can't help myself. I am notoriously fussy and fuss and fret over things.

Mr NQN doesn't like scones. In fact they're among his least favourite foods. To him they're dry and whenever go out to afternoon tea I get his share. Nina is also on a very low gluten diet and both of them devoured their scones and then had seconds (Mr NQN has thirds) all in one sitting.

Recently, I started fussing and fretting because we went away for a holiday for my birthday. That meant that we had to find someone to look after Mochi for just under 2 weeks. Usually we would ask my mother but she didn't want to. And our neighbour upstairs who brought her to us and often looks after her was overseas. Nina who was another choice is busy with her own new bundle of energy Marley.

So we found a pet sitter and left Mochi with her after meeting up and checking out her house. She had her own cavoodle puppy and was looking after a large dog that barked a lot but was friendly to other dogs. Mochi seemed at home there and at ease with the other dogs. We also hoped that she would become more comfortable with other dogs as she had very little contact with dogs during the first 8 years of her life.

"Don't ever feel like you're bombarding me with pictures," I said to the dog sitter hoping that she would do just that. I needed my Mochi fix as I missed her so much. She sent me 3 pictures or videos a day and she quickly learned that Mochi just wants to be somewhere soft and comfortable and next to a human. I wondered whether she would be upset at us for "abandoning" her.

When we picked her up after 2 weeks she was shaking with excitement and easily fell back into our family unit. Another delightful thing was that she no longer barks at other dogs when she comes to cafes with us. She greets them and is more curious about them (although she still doesn't understand the butt sniffing thing yet). So it's never too late to learn new tricks.

Or scone recipes! ;)

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like scones? And do you like trying new recipes or do you tend to use recipes that you've tried and tested before? Do you fiddle with recipes?

Date & Ginger Scones With Salted Maple Drizzle

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

• 225g/8oz self raising flour
• 2 tablespoons caster or superfine sugar
• 40g/1.5oz cold butter, cubed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butttermilk
• 1/4 cup soda water
• 1/2 cup chopped medjool dates
• 1/4 cup chopped crystallised ginger plus 2 tablespoons extra for decorating
• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 220C/440F and line a round or rectangular baking tray with parchment. Blitz the flour, sugar, butter and salt until the texture is like fine crumbs. Then place this in a bowl and knead in the buttermilk, soda water, dates and ginger. Do not overknead. Then shape into a round around 1 inch high. Cut wedges with a knife or a dough scraper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Step 2 - Sift icing sugar and mix with the water, maple syrup and add salt until it hits that sweet salty pleasure point. Place in a piping bag and drizzle over the scones and decorate with ginger pieces. Serve with double cream.