Strawberries & Cream Scones with Walnuts

So what to do with the abundance of bright, sweet and tasty strawberries in the markets and in your fridge these days?

Let’s talk Strawberries & Cream Scones with Walnuts…

Red strawberries with bits of woodsy-looking walnuts peeking through the scone tops make for both an attractive and inviting breakfast (or tea-time) scone. I had some cream leftover that needed to be used before spoiling, so that’s what was used for these scone. However, if you have half-in-half it can lighten it up a bit.

This recipe, from King Arthur Flour, yielded 12 mini scones. The dough can become quite sticky and full-bodied. I wanted full chunks of these sweet and beautiful strawberries throughout the scones, so I manually placed each strawberry in each scone. This made for more even distribution of the fruit, less possibilities for the scone batter to turn pink from crushing the berries and gave me control of the berries orientation. All personal preference.

Don’t skip the glaze that’s brushed on the top of each scone before baking. It doesn’t cause much sweetness, but does add a hint of vanilla. I would maybe increase the sugar slightly and decrease the vanilla just a tad. Adding some fresh orange zest would be a nice addition for these tasty scones.

This is a good recipe that makes a good textured baked good. Not a dry, crumbly scone. Substituting other berries in lieu of the strawberries would work well. Maybe even adding some blueberries with the strawberries would be both a tasty and visually appealing treat, as well.

• Used a mini-scone pan so the recipe will reflect that in the baking directions and steps/directions.
• Added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
• Adding some orange zest to the scone batter would be a nice addition.
• Placing the chunks of strawberries in each scone will make for more even distribution of strawberries for each scone AND prevent the possibility of your scone batter from turning a pinkish hue (this is purely preference).
• Would adjust the amount of vanilla for the glaze, decreasing to maybe 1 teaspoon.
• Watch baking time, depending on the size of your scones.

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Strawberries & Cream Scones with Walnuts

source modified from King Arthur Flour

Makes: 12 mini scones (yield will vary by size of scones)

Ingredients

Scones
1/2 cup diced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons half & half, light or heavy cream

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup diced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Glaze
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, or a full-size or mini-scone pan

To make the scones:
In a blender or food processor, process 1/2 cup of the strawberries with the sugar and half & half or cream until the mixture is smooth. Set it aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

Work in the butter, using a mixer, your fingertips, a fork, or a pastry blender; the mixture should be unevenly crumbly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the strawberry/cream mixture, the egg, the vanilla extract.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until the dough just barely starts to come together.

Add the 2/3 cup diced strawberries, gently folding them in; the dough will be quite sticky.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets; each scone should be about the size of a golf ball. A tablespoon cookie scoop is exactly the right size for this task

Or divide the dough among the compartments of a scone pan.

Make the glaze:

Mix the sugar, water, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle some atop each scone

Bake the scones until they’re just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges, 15 to 16 minutes (on a baking sheet or in a mini-scone pan), for about 16-18 minutes (for mini scone pan).

Serve scones warm. To rewarm later, place in microwave for 12 seconds (for one scone).

Or allow them to cool completely, and store airtight at room temperature. .

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