I love scones. Buttery, tender-to-the-crumb scones. My usual go to recipe is this chocolate chip scone recipe from Annie's Eats, but the strawberries I had prompted me to try a new scone recipe. I found this "Dreamy Cream Scones" recipe from America's Test Kitchen on Smitten Kitchen's site that looked so irresistible. I was hoping that adding strawberries would turn these into strawberries and cream scones, but the cream flavor isn't very pronounced. Nevertheless, these scones are incredibly tender and delicious. (Can you tell I tried to make my scones heart-shaped? Let's just say that the one in the photo was the best one out of the bunch).
If you use strawberries, however, be aware that the scones should be eaten as soon as possible. The fresh strawberries can turn the scones soggy within a few hours. Freezing the scones before baking for future use is always an option, which is what I did with half my batch. Subbing dried fruit or chocolate chips is an option as well.
Strawberry Scones adapted from ATK Cookbook found on Smitten Kitchen
Yield: 8 scones
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup hulled and diced strawberries (try to pat them dry as much as possible with a paper towel)
1 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl. Using a fork, quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Incorporate strawberries. Gently Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece and cutting until dough has been used up.
Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.