Are you ready for some simple strawberry scones?
This recipe will help you ditch the intimidation factor and enjoy this slightly old-fashioned treat at home.
One of my favorite celebratory meals is afternoon tea. I love that by design, you get to sample bits and bites of different sweet and savory treats. I love that, in the US, at least, there is almost no incorrect time to eat this meal. I love that it’s a meal that can bring generations together.
When I was pregnant the second time, I had no need for any traditional shower gifts – or games – so I took a small group of friends and family to tea. When we visited London a few years ago, my dear aunt traveled down from Manchester to have tea with us.
I have celebrated Mother’s Day over tea. Birthdays. Out of town guests (remember when that was a thing?). And I have hosted tea at home.
Scones are tea staple, but are often intimidating to home cooks. This recipe, for Simple Strawberry Scones, inspired by Confessions of a Tart, was one I stumbled upon years ago.
I have made it countless times, especially with a few awkward strawberries that weren’t quite the best for eating out of hand. I have also used the handful of ollalieberries we sometimes glean from our single, backyard vine (for the uninitiated, ollalieberries are a version of blackberries specific to our little corner of northern California). The end of a warehouse-sized tub of blueberries also works well. As do the “dry,” almost crispy peaches that grow on my friend Alice’s tree.
Because of the fruit, these scones are perfectly delicious on their own. However, I rarely serve them without lemon curd, which completes the tea experience. Certainly you can find – or make – a rich clotted or Devonshire cream (I have cheated by adding extra powdered sugar while whipping cream at home to create a thicker, more spreadable cream). But I prefer the bright and tangy edge of lemon curd.
Simple Strawberry Scones
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- silicone liner or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries or other fruit
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter in cubes, slightly softened
- 2/3 cup cream or sub half and half or cold buttermilk, for a slightly different flavor/texture
Topping
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar such as raw, or decorating sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone liner.
- Dice fruit and place in a small bowl – you want the pieces to be about a ½ inch or smaller. Sprinkle fruit with 1/2 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
- Combine remaining 2 ½ tablespoons sugar with flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add butter, quickly pressing the cubes into the dry ingredients until you have a texture like corn meal, with few large pieces.
- Stir in fruit; then add cream all at once. Use spatula to gently stir dough until it holds together.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to incorporate dry ingredients. Sprinkle dough with flour if it gets sticky, particularly if your fruit is extra juicy.
- Form the dough into two equal disks (or four, if you want bite-sized scones). Cut the circle into 4-6 equal wedges, then transfer wedges to the cookie sheet, spacing them equally. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 5-10 more minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown and spring back when you push them. Cool slightly before enjoying warm; or serve at room temperature.
Notes
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