It’s strawberry season again, which means it’s the perfect time to embrace the warm weather with this sweet recipe for Strawberry Scones!
Baking can be tricky. If you’re one of those people who attempted to distract yourself during the spring of 2020 by baking sourdough bread, you have my respect. I, for one, have never once even attempted to make sourdough – or any bread, really – owing to a general assumption that I probably will mess it up. This is not based on any lack of evidence, by the way. Over my long career as a poor baker, I’ve managed to mess up a wide variety of baked goods, from cookies to biscuits to muffins, and so I think I’ve earned the right to call myself a below-average baker.
But there are certain goods that even I can manage baking – and not just manage, but dare I say, positively thrive at baking. Scones are one such example. If you’ll allow me a quick digression, I once heard a master pizza maker say that the best part about learning to make pizza is that it is an incredibly forgiving journey on the road to mastery. What he meant was, even bad pizza still tastes pretty good, so as you commence your long journey toward becoming a pro, you at least have something good to eat along the way. Compare this to something like soufflés or croissants, which have a tendency to quickly fall apart if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Scones, on the other hand, are simple, and even if you mess them up, they’ll still turn out delicious. This recipe for strawberry scones is my personal favorite, because it’s so basic, so easy, that just about anyone can handle it. They’re also not meant to be beautiful. There’s no such thing as an ugly scone. These are not the kinds of desserts that require precision or a masterful technique. You pretty much toss a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, mix them together, and then mash out some dough balls in whatever shape you desire. The final result will look and taste wonderful no matter what, so don’t worry too much and try to have fun with it.
Can I use any berries for this recipe?
Of course! I actually know of a few people with strawberry allergies, so I’ve tweaked this recipe myself to fit with certain dietary restrictions. If you’re looking to swap out strawberries for something else, I would recommend blueberries or blackberries. I tend to avoid cranberries, just because they’re so tart.
That being said, if you’ve got a bunch of more obscure berries – goji berries, elderberries, boysenberries – you’re more than welcome to give them a go. So long as they’re sweet, I’m sure they’ll turn out fine.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Scones can be left at room temperature for a few days, but they will go stale if left out, so if you’re storing them for later, simply put them in an airtight container or in a sealed plastic bag. If you want to store for longer, toss them in the fridge, and they should stay good for at about 2 weeks.
How to Make My Scones Light and Airy?
The trick to a light and airy scone is all about the butter — specifically, making sure that whatever butter you use is extra cold. You can even freeze your butter and then shred it with a box grater for best results.
Serving Suggestions
These scones are great on their own, or better yet, serve them with a hot cup of coffee or an espresso drink to make yourself feel as though you’ve just taken a seat inside a luxury cafe. If you’re like me, you might just find yourself in a new scone kick, in which case I highly recommend you try this recipe for Blueberry Lemon Scones with Lemon Glaze. If you’re still looking for another great scone variation, then let me present this recipe for Lemon and Vanilla Bean Scones with Unclotted Cream. Both are delicious and easy to make.
Strawberry Scones
Ingredients Â
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cubed
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup fresh strawberries diced
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar optional for topping
- 1 large egg beaten for egg wash
InstructionsÂ
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the chilled, cubed butter to the flour mixture and cut in using a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gently fold in the diced strawberries, being careful not to crush them.
- Pour in the half-and-half and stir until just combined; the dough will be sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead just until it comes together.
- Form the dough into a 7-inch round disc and cut into 8 equal wedges.
- Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each scone.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until the scones are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
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