These charming, heart-shaped scones are beautifully flavored by tangy crème fraîche, strawberries, and vanilla extract to create a delicious and bright bake that is apropos for a Valentine’s Day theme.
Strawberry Heart Scones
Serves: approximately 16
Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped freeze-dried strawberries
- 1⁄2 cup crème fraîche
- 1⁄4 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 1⁄4 teaspoons strawberry extract
- 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pink food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in strawberries.
- In a small bowl, stir together crème fraîche, heavy cream, strawberry extract, vanilla extract, and desired amount of pink food coloring. Add to flour mixture, stirring until a dry, shaggy dough begins to form. Working gently, bring mixture together in bowl with hands until a dough forms. (If dough won’t come together, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does. Dough should be firm. If dough is too soft, scones won’t hold their heart shapes when baked.)
- 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 little less than 1⁄2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter dipped in flour, cut as many scones as possible from dough, rerolling scraps once. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour*.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Bake frozen scones until edges are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 9 to 12 minutes.
Notes
*At this point, scones can be baked per the recipe or can be transferred to an airtight freezer bag and kept frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place desired number of frozen scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake as directed, allowing a few extra minutes for proper browning and doneness.
Kitchen Tip: Measure flour by spooning it into a dry-measure cup and scraping off excess with a knife to level.
Kitchen Tip: Measure flour by spooning it into a dry-measure cup and scraping off excess with a knife to level.
Strawberry-Lemon Curd
Serves: 1¼ cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarsely chopped, hulled fresh strawberries
- 1⁄3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 5 egg yolks
- 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 drop red food color (optional)
Instructions
- In the container of a blender, process together strawberries and lemon juice until a puree forms.
- In a medium bowl set over a pan of briskly simmering water, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. (Make sure bottom of bowl is not touching water.) Whisk in lemon zest and strawberry-lemon puree. Cook until mixture thickens somewhat, approximately 8 minutes, stirring constantly.
- In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry. Add slurry to hot curd, stirring well to incorporate; cook until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Remove from heat, and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until melted and incorporated. Stir in food coloring, if using. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Let cool. Transfer curd to a covered container. Refrigerate until cold and set, and use within 2 days.
