Golden triangular scones are studded with softened dried figs and walnuts, with lightly crisp edges and a tender crumb. Enjoy the mellow fruit flavour with a cup of tea for a weekend bake or afternoon treat.
Times are estimates and include preparation and the waits listed. Check hydration, tenderness and doneness as described.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Rinse the figs briefly and snip off hard stems. Cut into roughly 1 cm pieces, or soften whole first if too firm to cut safely. Warm the 150 ml orange juice without boiling and pour over the figs in a small bowl for about 10–15 minutes, until easily chopped. Allow longer if still firm rather than mixing hard centres into the dough. Drain, gently press out excess liquid, pat the surface dry and spread out until no longer warm. Chop into 5–8 mm pieces.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine 250 g flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Rub in the 65 g cold butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form, leaving a few small butter pieces. If it becomes soft and greasy, chill for 10 minutes before continuing. Fold in the drained, cooled figs and walnuts without crushing the fruit.
Whisk the egg with 80 ml cold milk and stir gently into the dry mixture with a table knife or scraper, just until it comes together. Add the remaining 20 ml milk a little at a time only if substantial dry flour remains; you may not need it all. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, fold together only a few times and pat into a roughly 20 cm round about 2.5 cm thick. Cut into eight wedges and set about 2 cm apart on the tray. Do not knead like bread dough.
Chill the shaped scones on the tray for 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 220°C conventional / 200°C fan. Brush the tops lightly with the extra 10 ml milk, avoiding repeated brushing down the cut sides. Bake on the middle shelf for about 18–22 minutes, until risen and golden on top and underneath. Open a middle scone and check the crumb away from fruit pieces for any wet, raw dough. Bake a few minutes longer if necessary; loosely cover with foil if colouring too quickly.
Transfer to a rack for about 10 minutes so steam can escape before eating. The warm crumb should show tiny fig seeds and walnut pieces; take care as the fruit may still be hot. Serve with tea. If adding cream or other accompaniments, check their allergens and storage requirements separately.
Contains wheat, milk, egg and walnuts (tree nuts). Check the baking powder and other ingredient labels. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Once completely cool, store in a clean airtight container in a cool, dry place and aim to eat the same or next day for texture. Refrigerate in warm or humid conditions. Freeze if keeping longer, aiming to use within 1 month for quality. These are household quality guides, not tested shelf-life claims. Added cream needs prompt refrigeration as labelled.
