Whole Wheat Date Scones

The only things I miss about living in Portland are food and drink-related. The Deschutes Brewpub across from my work, PokPok, and Pastaworks top that list.
I lived near the commissary bakery for this cafe, which I visited often, partially because it was by far the nearest coffeeshop to my apartment. Almost every time I went, I bought their Wheat-Date Scone.
It's one of those iconic recipes in your mind that is probably tied up with reminiscence and memory as much as flavor and actual eating experience (that's probably the definition of all eating, now that I think about it!). But regardless, these buttery, wheaty pastries have lingered in my "Make these!" mental catalog.

I haven't found the official recipe, but here's a Cowen Park Kitchen take on it. It's not the same as the scones in Portland—but then again, I'm not the same person, either.

Tool recommendations include a pastry blender, plastic dough scraper, silpat or silicone baking sheet, and a pastry or basting brush.

Whole Wheat Date Scones

Ingredients

• 350 g (about 2 1/2 c.) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 80 g (about 1/2 c.) AP Flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 10 T. cold butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 3/4 c. buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. chopped dates
• 1/3 c. chopped walnuts
• 1 t. vanilla extract or 1/4 scraped bean

Method

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
2. Sift flours together and add remaining dry ingredients.
3. Cut butter in with a pastry blender until cornmeal-like in texture. Don't worry if there are bigger chunks. Butter is better not obliterated between flour. If necessary, take mixture between your palms like sand and blend that way briefly. The idea is to not heat the butter and to not stretch the glutens in the flour.
4. In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Reserve 2 T.
5. Add dates and walnuts to dry mix. You may add more or less, depending on taste. I prefer walnuts in this recipe as an addition to texture and less for flavor, so they are chopped somewhat small and blended well. The dates, on the other hand, I left slightly bigger, so you can be sure to bite into a big soft, gooey bit of sweetness.
6. Mix wet and dry, mixing only enough to hold together. Do not overmix! You might be afraid that you need more wet ingredients. Buttermilk isn't quickly absorbed, so be patient as it spreads through the mixture.
7. Turn out onto floured or silicone surface, forming a 1" tall round.
8. Cut into 12 as you would a pie.
9. Arrange on silpat or parchment (no need for greasing as the scones have so much butter!) and brush thoroughly with reserved wet-mix.
10. Bake until golden-brown and leavened, about 20 minutes.
11. Let cool and put in your face.