Strawberries & Cream Scones

These are super easy to make!  It's a variation of the Cream Scones from my favorite baking book (America's Test Kitchen Family Baking)... strawberries and cream make a great combination...perfect for Sunday, or Monday (or any day!)... These can be on the table within 30 minutes.

I love strawberries, but incorporating them into baked goods like muffins and scones is sometimes tricky, and often leads to soggy messes.  Luckily, Trader Joe's has the perfect solution: Freeze Dried Strawberries.  These perfectly preserved slices are light as air as the moisture has been eliminated from them.  And when added to the batter, they plump back to perfection - without any unwanted moisture!

A 34g bag will set you back about $3.50.  Maybe an expensive 'treat' if you eat it straight out of the bag.  I almost always use them exclusively for baking!

Here's the recipe (adapted from America's Test Kitchen):

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsn baking powder
3 Tbsn sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsn cold butter
1 bag (34g) freeze-dried strawberries (like Trader Joe's)
1 cup heavy cream

Icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
approx. 2 Tbsn milk/cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl; stir to combine.

3. Grate the cold butter with a cheese grater, directly into the bowl with the flour mixture.  Stir to combine.  Add strawberries and stir. 

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula until dough begins to form.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to a clean counter-top and knead lightly for a few seconds just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball. Form scones by pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper.

6. Place wedges on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the icing:

Combine all of the ingredients into a small bowl, stirring until smooth.  You might need to adjust the liquid for the right consistency.  Spoon over warm scones.