Strawberry and cream scones

A delicious combination of strawberries and cream baked into a light and fluffy scone, perfect for many occasions!

Since these delicious pumpkin cakes came into my life, I have become a scone lover. Before that, I didn’t make them. Ever. Because they seem like too much work, the result (in my opinion) is dry and stiff.

Oh, how wrong I was!

Scones are some of the easiest quick breads to make, especially if you have a mantra in your head: don’t overmix! Overmixing creates the hard, dry scones I mentioned above. But a light, loving hand and scones are some of my new favorite treats and so simple to make.

MKC (Mel’s Kitchen Cafe for the Confused) reader Nicole emailed me about this recipe she tried from King Arthur Flour.

I like King Arthur Flour. I love strawberries. And I love scones.

So I made them. And oh, the heavenly combinations!

Creamy and sweet, these strawberry scones are absolutely amazing and now vying for the top spot with pumpkin scones. Soft and fluffy, they literally melt in your mouth, and although the scone dough is very low in sugar, the natural sweetness of the strawberries and a light drizzle of syrupy glaze combine to make them… well… perfect.

I have visions of making these for our Easter breakfast because they somehow seem appropriate for Easter morning.

The first time I made them, they came out of the oven in the wee hours of the morning, about 3 1/2 minutes before my five kids (four sons, one father) came sledding in the freezing cold and we devoured them. This decadent tres leches hot chocolate.

I still dream about “the event.” As Natalie suggested, I have a feeling these scones will turn a quick and dirty weeknight dinner of scrambled eggs and whipped cream into something absolutely wonderful.

Strawberry and Cream Scones

Yield: 8-12 scones

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 16 minutes minutes

Total time: 36 minutes minutes

Materials Needed

Scones:

• ½ cup sliced ​​fresh strawberries
• ¼ cup (53 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream
• 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-2 drops pure orange juice, optional
• ⅔ cup chopped fresh strawberries

Glazing:

• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
   For the scones, in a blender or food processor, process 1/2 cup diced strawberries with the sugar and half-and-half or cream until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, forks, or your fingertips, mix the dry ingredients into the butter until the mixture is evenly crumbly with large, pea-sized crumbs.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the strawberry-cream mixture, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange juice, if using.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together. Add 2/3 cup diced strawberries and gently fold, using your hands if necessary, to bring the dough together. Be careful not to overmix, as this will toughen the scones. Heavy kneading is fine until the dough mostly holds together.
5. Lightly flour your work surface/counter and divide the dough into two pieces. Take one half and gently press the dough into a thick circle on a floured surface 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into six equal triangles. Place each scone on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. Alternatively, small scones can be made by dropping a tablespoon of dough onto prepared baking sheets.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, water, and vanilla until smooth. If the mixture seems too dry, gradually add water, a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture reaches the consistency of a thick syrup. Drizzle a little syrup over each bun.
7. Bake the buns for 13-16 minutes until they begin to brown around the edges. When baked properly, they should be moist (but not rubbery) in the center.
8. Serve the buns warm or at room temperature. The buns can be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Before serving, reheat very briefly in the microwave or in a 350°F oven lined with foil for 5 to 10 minutes.

Notes

Measure the dough: Measure the dough with a light hand (see this post for more on that principle) so that the dough is still sticky and not too soft or sticky.
Orange juice: Also, orange juice is optional but adds a wonderful dimension to the flavor of the scones.