Fresh lemon zest and freeze-dried strawberries impart bright flavor to these scones that are perfect for spring.
Lemon-Strawberry Scones
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped freeze-dried strawberries, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ⅓ cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until a shaggy dough begins to form. Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms. (If mixture seems dry and dough won’t come together, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does. Dough should be somewhat firm.)
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently until smooth by patting dough and folding it in half 4 to 5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a ½-inch thickness. Scatter ¼ cup strawberries over half of dough. Fold other half of dough over strawberries to enclose them. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out dough again to a ¾-inch thickness. Repeat scattering, folding, and rolling process with remaining ¼ cup strawberries. Using a 2¼-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut as many scones as possible from dough without twisting cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Freeze scones until firm, approximately 15 minutes.
- Brush tops of scones with remaining 1 tablespoon cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Bake until scones are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.
