A combination of fresh and freeze-dried strawberries produces a fruit forward Triple Strawberry Scone
Last night when we went to the farm, I was pleased to see that the bed of strawberries was filled with red, ripe berries. That makes today the perfect day to share this recipe.
The original post from July 2020
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I love strawberries. As much as I’d love to say that I only eat them when they’re available locally that would be a lie. As long as they’re ripe and red, I’m glad to eat them even when shipped many miles.
In addition to the fresh version, I have become a fan of freeze-dried strawberries as well. They’re light and airy and have a texture that’s almost like a hardy cotton candy. You need to chew, but then they melt away. Quite often you’ll find a bag in my pantry, which makes a fine afternoon snack.
A couple years ago I decided to try using them not only as a snack but also in cooking. What I discovered is that they do a fine job of imparting their strawberry flavors without adding a ton of moisture, which isn’t always a desired effect. For example, these Sweet Strawberry Biscotti stayed nice and crisp while being berry forward.
As I began to think about this scone recipe, I debated how to get lots of strawberry flavor into it. Scones like a bit of moisture, so fresh strawberries were the obvious choice for the baked good. To add more strawberry flavor, I wanted a glaze, which is where the freeze-dried berries came into play. They grind up into a lovely powder that would blend well with powdered sugar.
Thus, I was off and running with my double strawberry scone recipe, when it dawned on me, why go with double when you can have triple strawberries?
With more freeze-dried strawberries pulverized, I now had more strawberry powder that could decorate the glaze. Suddenly, I had triple strawberry scones that delivered on my idea of a strawberry-forward scone.
Three layers of strawberry in a scone? Yes, these are my new, favorite breakfast treats.
Triple Strawberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter diced
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 3/4 cup buttermilk*
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
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Add butter.
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Combine dry ingredients using a pastry blender (or two forks) until butter is reduced to the size of grains of rice.
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Add diced strawberries to the flour mixture, tossing gently.
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Whisk buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl.
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Add liquids to dry ingredients; mix until dough forms a ball.
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Place dough on a lightly floured surface and press into an 8-inch round.
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Cut into 8 wedges.
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Transfer wedges to a rimmed cookie sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper.
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Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the scones are crusty on top and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
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While scones cool, place freeze-dried strawberries in a sealable bag, and crush using a rolling pin.
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Combine powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons crushed, freeze-dried strawberries, and 1 tablespoon milk.
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Add more milk as needed, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches desired consistency.
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Top each scone with strawberry glaze.
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Sprinkle with remaining crushed freeze-dried strawberries.
Notes
