I've owned the cookbook Sweet for a long time, but I hadn't spent much time with it until the last few weeks. It is a stunning cookbook and I am a little ashamed of how long it took for me to realize it's potential.
In trying to make up for lost time with Sweet, I recently made the apricot basil cream galette and these hazelnut, blue cheese, and date scones. The apricot basil cream galette was quite good, although I was the only one to taste the basil and since making the basil cream was the most finicky part, that was a bit annoying. After trying these scones, all is forgiven.
Valerie's hazelnut, blue cheese, and date scones are (perhaps suprisingly) incredibly well-balanced. They aren't too sweet, nor too salty, the blue cheese comes through perfectly, and while they are quite rich, you don't really realize how rich they are as you're eating them. It's after you've eaten two for breakfast and gone the rest of the day without feeling a single hunger pang that it becomes obvious just how satiating these scones are.
As scones go, these hazelnut, blue cheese, and date scones are actually on the simpler side to make. No tedious cutting-in of the butter required, most of the work is done by a mixer, you just need to shape it at the end.
I highly recommend serving these fresh from the oven for brunch, and if you don't want to make them all at once, you can freeze the dough squares and bake them on demand. Their smell while warm is incredible and everyone who tried them asked either for the recipe or for seconds (or both).
Hazelnut, Blue Cheese, and Date Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups (288 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (43 g) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 8 tablespoons (114g, 1 stick) unsalted butter cubed and chilled
- ½ cup (2.5 ounces) crumbled blue cheese*
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (4 ounces) heavy cream
- ½ cup (3 ounces) raw hazelnuts chopped
- ⅔ cup (4.5 ounces) pitted dates chopped
- 1 tablespoon flour
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg for glazing the tops
- brown sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Cube the butter into small pieces, place in a small dish, and set in the freezer for about 15 minutes to chill. In another small bowl, whisk together the 1 egg and cream, then set in the refrigerator to keep cold.
- Place a rack in the center of your oven, then pre-heat to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon liner or parchment paper.
- Add the flour, brown sugar, and baking powder to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl if mixing by hand). Add the chilled, cubed butter, and run the mixer at low speed for 30 seconds. With the mixer still running, gently add the crumbled blue cheese and mix another 30 seconds. Pour in the egg-plus-cream liquid, and mix another 20-30 seconds, just until the dough looks crumbly and barely comes together. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured, cool work surface. Working quickly so the dough doesn't get too warm, gently knead and pat out the dough until it forms a disc about 1-inch thick.** You could also do this is a rolling pin, but it won't be much easier. Resist the urge to add too much additional flour. The dough will be quite sticky and wet feeling.
- Toss the chopped, pitted dates with the tablespoon of flour to lightly coat. Sprinkle half the chopped hazelnuts and dates over the dough. Fold the dough in half (this will be messy and the dough will break). Sprinkle the top of the dough with the remaining hazelnuts and dates.
- Dust the top of the dough with a little more flour and gently pat or roll out the dough until it is ¾ inch thick.** Cut the dough into twelve evenly-shaped squares, about 2-½ to 3-inches across.
- Place the scones at least 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the other egg in a small bowl, then using a pastry brush, brush the tops of each scone lightly with the egg wash. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar or turbinado sugar (for a little crunch).
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops and edges are just golden brown. Serve immediately or transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Baked scones can be stored for 2 days in an airtight container or frozen for up to 2 months in freezer-grade Ziplocs.
Notes
