Strawberry Scones

Scones can have a bad reputation, and there are many recipes I’ve tried over the years that have been disappointing. They are too dry and crumbly, or flat and dense, or just not flavorful enough. They can feel like a sad excuse for a breakfast pastry and make you wish you had ordered a muffin or a croissant. Not these scones! Years ago, I went to a tiny but popular bakery on the Oregon coast and had the best scone of my life. It was a savory scone, studded with bacon and cheese. This scone was sky high, full of flakey layers, and every bite was tender and moist without a hint of the dry scones I had in my past. I knew that it was possible to make a perfect scone! These strawberry scones are just that. They’re tender and sweet, not dry at all, and bake up nice and tall. If you’ve had scones fail you in the past, follow these tips for the best scone you’ll ever eat.

Tips to Make the Perfect Scones

• Cold ingredients. I like to keep my butter in the freezer and grate it with a box grater when I make scones or biscuits. This recipe also calls for an egg and buttermilk or cream, which also should be kept cold. We need to keep these ingredients cold to ensure the butter doesn’t melt or soften too much prior to baking. Keeping the ingredients cold help you get those tall, flakey layers.
• Freeze your scones. Freeze your scones for about 45 minutes prior to baking. This helps get them really cold and helps give those flakey layers like I said above. Anytime I have not frozen my scones, they have turned out flat. Freeze your scones!
• Add the fruit in prior to the liquid ingredients. I have tried this recipe both ways and adding the strawberries at the end means they don’t get properly incorporated into the dough.
• Don’t overmix. I’m sure you’ve heard this tip with just about every baking good, but overmixing your dough leads to tough scones. Shape the scones, cut, and place on the baking sheet with as little handling as possible.
• Cut your scones straight down. I cut my scones using a bench scraper, but if you are using a biscuit cutter and making circle scones, it can be tempting to twist as you press down. Twisting the biscuit cutter or moving your bench scraper back and forth like a saw as you cut the scones will seal the layers, causing the scones to be flat instead of rising tall.

Ingredients for Strawberry Scones

• All-purpose flour: I have not tried this recipe with a one for one gluten-free substitution, but please comment below if that works!
• Baking powder: Scones need a lot of baking powder to rise. Make sure yours is fresh and hasn’t been sitting in the pantry for years!
• Baking soda: Baking soda also helps give rise, and baking soda helps give the scones the golden brown crispy exterior that we want.
• Salt: As always, we need a little salt in baked goods. I’m using unsalted butter but if you use salted butter, you can cut back on the salt here.
• Granulated sugar: Scones are generally not too sweet, but a little sugar goes a long way.
• Butter: I’m using unsalted butter. I know people rave about salted butter, but the reality is that when I’m baking, I want to be able to control the salt that’s going into a recipe. And since not every brand of butter has the same amount of saltiness, I stick to unsalted and add the salt in later.
• Buttermilk: The tang that the buttermilk gives these scones is really too good, but if you don’t have buttermilk, half and half also works very well.
• Egg: I prefer scone recipes that use an egg for moisture, binding, flavor, etc. Without an egg, I find the scones to be too dry and crumbly. We are also using an egg for the egg wash on top, so you’ll need two eggs total.
• Fresh strawberries: Chop them small and be sure to add them when I do in the recipe, not at the end.
• Vanilla and almond extracts: This combination of flavor extracts brings the scones to the next level. Trust me on the almond extract addition. It belongs in every single baked good.
• Turbinado sugar: Optional, but really lovely for a crunchy scone top.
• Powdered sugar: Also optional, but I love the way the glaze looks on these scones. You can make your glaze with powdered sugar, a little vanilla or almond extract, and milk, cream, or half and half.

How to Make Strawberry Scones

• First, whisk your dry ingredients in a large bowl. This is your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar. Set aside.
• In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together your buttermilk, egg, and vanilla and almond extracts. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Take your butter from the freezer and use a box grater to grate the butter. Add to the dry ingredients and mix to combine, then add your chopped strawberries and mix again.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Form into a large rectangle and cut the scones into triangles. Be sure to cut straight down with your bench scraper or biscuit cutter. Place the scones on 1-2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper and freeze for 45 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the egg in a small bowl and brush the tops of the scones and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before drizzling with the glaze. Scones are best enjoyed the same day.

These strawberry scones are perfect, and they don’t last long in my house. No matter who you make them for, I guarantee they’ll be well-received and become a recipe you return to frequently!