Strawberry Scones

I had a bunch of strawberries in the refrigerator so I have been trying to do different strawberry recipes lately.  I made strawberry pancakes the other day and today I did the strawberry scones from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.  The recipe calls for dried strawberries but I had fresh ones so I thought I would use them.  Also I added vanilla and lemon essence to mine.  I was thinking orange essence but I had just run out of it. These were very easy to make not lots of sugar and they came out delicious.  You can add other fruits too, blueberry or even nuts or chocolate chips, even dried fruit since the original recipe calls for it.  Let me know what you put in your scones.

Strawberry Scones

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp lemon essence
2 tsp salt
3/4 pound (3 sticks of butter) cold unsalted butter, diced
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup small-diced strawberries
1 egg beaten for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, set them aside.

The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Then put the strawberries in the triangle and fold the top piece over to the long side of the triangle. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.

Makes around 14 to 16 large scones.