Description
Quick and delightful Mrs. McCarthy’s strawberry scones originate from traditional Scottish baking. Rich buttermilk dough meets sweet local strawberries, creating a perfect morning companion you’ll savor with your favorite tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups strawberries, stemmed and cut into small pieces
- 6 tbsps cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar or powdered sugar)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Warm oven to 400°F (204°C) and line baking sheet with parchment paper for seamless release.
- Fruit Preparation: Finely chop strawberries and lightly coat with sugar to enhance natural sweetness and release juices.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift flour, salt, baking powder, and remaining sugar together, ensuring uniform consistency and eliminating potential clumps.
- Butter Integration: Swiftly incorporate chilled butter into dry mixture using pastry cutter, creating a texture reminiscent of rustic breadcrumbs while maintaining cold temperature for optimal flakiness.
- Dough Composition: Gently fold macerated strawberries into flour mixture, then introduce whisked egg and milk. Delicately combine using spatula until just integrated, adjusting flour if dough appears overly moist.
- Shaping: Place dough on floured surface, crafting a uniform 10-inch circular disk. Divide into 8 precise triangular wedges, transferring to prepared baking sheet.
- Finishing Touches: Brush scones with egg wash and sprinkle Turbinado sugar, creating a glistening, caramelized exterior.
- Baking and Glazing: Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden-brown and toothpick emerges clean. Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice into a silky glaze, elegantly drizzling over cooled scones before serving.
Notes
- Chill Butter Quickly: Freeze butter for 10-15 minutes before cutting to ensure ultimate flakiness and prevent premature melting during preparation.
- Handle Dough Gently: Minimally mix ingredients to maintain tender, light scone texture; overmixing develops gluten and creates dense, tough results.
- Control Strawberry Moisture: Pat diced strawberries dry with paper towels to prevent excess liquid from making the dough soggy and compromising structural integrity.
- Temperature Matters: Allow scones to cool completely before glazing to prevent runny, transparent icing and ensure a clean, crisp presentation.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg