Date Scones
Campfire cooking
10 mins prep | 15 mins cooking
I don’t know about you, but when we go camping we don’t carry much in the way off fancy ingredients or equipment. In the search for baking ideas that use stuff we are likely to have and can basically be prepared in one bowl, I have been playing with camp oven scones. I like coconut but not everyone in my family does so it is an optional extra depending on who will be partaking in the end result.
My campfire cooking has been a bit hit and miss in the past but this time I did quite well, if I do say so myself. The scones were cooked to perfection. Not burnt on the bottom and not doughy in the middle. They were delicious without any added toppings, warm straight out of the camp oven.
The thing that seems to be working for me is making sure the camp oven doesn’t get toooo hot. Keep it a little away from the fire and load some coals onto the lid to make the heat more even. Using a trivet to keep the tin or foil tray off the bottom of the camp oven also helps.
Ingredients
- 2 cup self-raising flour
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut (optional)
- 1 cup roughly chopped dates
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon (if you happen to have it)
- Butter or jam to serve
Method
- Soak the chopped dates in a bowl for about 10 minutes.
- While you are waiting combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and rub the butter in.
- Drain the water from the dates and add into flour mix.
- Add the milk a little at a time, until it forms soft dough, you may not need all the milk.
- Knead lightly on a floured surface for about 30 sec (too much kneading will toughen the dough).
- Roll the dough into a log about 5cm thick and cut into sections (should make about 9)
- Dip cut sides of dough in flour and pat into ‘scone’ shape, place in cake tin or foil tray, and into the camp oven.
- Cook scones, covered, timing will depend on the temperature of your camp oven. Mine took about 30mins but maybe start checking after 15mins.
- Serve warm with butter or jam.
