Tender Buttery Strawberry Scones (Printable)
Tender, buttery scones filled with fresh strawberries. Perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
06 - 2/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Fruit
09 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
→ Topping (optional)
10 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - Add the cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, egg, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just barely combined. Do not overmix or the scones will become tough.
06 - Gently fold in the diced strawberries until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat gently into a disc about 1 inch thick and approximately 7 inches in diameter. Handle the dough as little as possible.
08 - Cut the disc into 8 equal wedges using a sharp knife. Transfer wedges to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
09 - Brush the tops of each scone with a thin layer of cream. Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar if desired for a crunchy top.
10 - Bake for 16–18 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11 - Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for at least 10 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast of tart berries against buttery, tender crumb creates something magical
- They come together in under 40 minutes but taste like you spent all morning baking
02 -
- Cold ingredients are non-negotiable for flaky scones, if the butter melts before baking, you lose the layers
- Overmixing is the enemy, work the dough just until it comes together and no more
03 -
- Lemon zest added to the dry ingredients brightens everything and makes the strawberry flavor pop
- Grating frozen butter instead of cutting it into cubes saves time and distributes it more evenly