Strawberry Scones
Perfectly fluffy on the inside and delicately crisp on the outside, these Strawberry Scones are studded with fresh strawberries and drizzled in a lusciously smooth strawberry icing!
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold*
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ⅓ cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk, for brushing scones
- Coarse sugar crystals, for sprinkling
Strawberry Icing:
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-5 Tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Use a cheese grater to grate the butter on top of the dry ingredients. Add the cream cheese. Then use a fork or pastry blender to cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the 1/3 cup heavy cream, yogurt (or sour cream), egg, and vanilla together until combined. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir with a spatula until dough comes together. You might need to use your hands to mix the rest of the loose flour into the dough.
- Add the chopped strawberries, and use your hands to gently fold and press the dough onto itself until it looks just mixed. Try to resist the temptation to overwork the dough and don’t worry about any loose strawberries
- Spray a cookie scooper, or 1/4 cup measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop up dough in mounds place onto prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between scones. Gently press down the tops to level a bit and press in any jagged areas on the sides of the scones. Set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Brush each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove scones from the oven and allow to cool at least 5 minutes before drizzling icing on top.
Make the Icing:
- In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. Allow to sit and macerate for at least 30 minutes**, preferably an hour.
- Pour the strawberries into a fine mesh sieve set over a mixing bowl, allowing the juice to strain from the berries***.
- Whisk the powdered sugar into the strawberry juice, a 1/4 cup at a time, until combined. Mixture will be really thick. Stir in 3 Tablespoons of the heavy cream. If desired, add more to achieve a nice drizzle-able consistency. Stir in almond extract.
Notes
*I recommend freezing the butter for at least 20 minutes so that it's really cold.
**Scones can chill in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, brush them with cream, top with the coarse sugar, and bake.
***You can either snack on the sweetened strawberries or save them for another recipe!
****Scones are best when served fresh on the day they're baked. Leftover scones keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 5 days. Reheat scones in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.