Persimmon and Date Scones

Growing up in a commonwealth country, I lived on scones and jam. The scones in America are very different to the scones I had in New Zealand. I’ve found that US scones are much sweeter and denser than their NZ counterparts. Craving scones this afternoon, I dug out the Edmunds cookbook—a staple in the Kiwi’s kitchen.

I decided to add an Asian twist to the basic scone dough recipe I found in my beloved cookbook. My mom and I went to H-Mart the other night and were delighted to find persimmon pancakes in the grocery aisle. While the literal translation of this food is persimmon pancakes, they are more like dried persimmons. My mom talked much about them, reminiscing back to when she had them as a child in China. I was excited to try one of these mysterious flat rounds. It was white on the outside from edible mold, and orange, sweet, and sticky on the inside. I really enjoyed the flavor of these persimmon pancakes.

The addition of dried persimmon and dates to the plain scone recipe livens up the dough significantly. The texture and sweetness from the fruits makes the scone more exciting to bite into. You never know what you might get with each mouthful. You could get a date, a chunk of persimmon, or if you’re lucky, both…

Ingredients

3 cups flour
6 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup trans fat free margarine
½ cup chopped dates
2 dried persimmons, chopped into small cubes
1-1 1/2 cups Milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Rub margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the chopped dates and dried persimmons. Add milk and mix quickly with a knife to form a soft dough. Knead a few times.
3. Divide the dough into two. Take each mound and form a flat circle approximately 1 inch high on a dusted surface. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into eight even sized pieces, like you would a cake.
4. Carefully transfer the dough onto a lined and greased oven tray leaving enough space between scones for rising. Brush the tops with milk. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown.