Homemade Buttermilk Strawberry Scones
Scones are cousins to biscuits. Scones to have sugar added and they are so versatile. I added fresh, chopped strawberries to the dough. They are fantastic with a cup of hot coffee or tea. You can even freeze them, and bake later.
Servings 8 scones
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries or other fruit
- 3 tablespoons sugar granulated; sweeten the fruit to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter in cubes, slightly softened
- 2/3 cup buttermilk cold; or half and half
TOPPING:
- 1 tablespoon sugar or turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. (I use a Silpat mat or parchment paper.)
- If using larger fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle fruit with 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Taste the berries for sweetness; set aside. Be sure to make the pieces small, or they tend to fall out of the dough.
- Combine remaining sugar with flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add butter, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut in butter (you may want to use your fingers to be sure butter is evenly mixed into flour). Stir in fruit; then add ream/half-and-half/buttermilk all at once. NOTE: I used buttermilk.
- Use spatula to gently stir dough until it holds together.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to incorporate dry ingredients.
- Be gentle so you don't break up the berries and don't overwork the dough. Sprinkle dough with flour if it gets sticky.
- Press (pat) the dough into a circle 3/4 inch thick.
- If any berries peek out, push them into dough.
- Cut circle into 6-8 wedges, then transfer wedges to the cookie sheet, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between them.
- Bake 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with sugar (I used turbinado) and bake 5-10 more minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown and spring back when you push them. Keep a careful watch and check every 5 minutes - you do not want dry scones!). (The sprinkling of sugar over the top for the last few minutes of baking creates a simple, sparkly topping.)