Strawberry Scones

Good morning! The weekend is finally here... now time for a nice home made breakfast! I happened to be bored last weekend and actually watching Food Network on tv. I love Barefoot Contessa and was lucky enough to catch her show. On it she made these strawberry scones using dried strawberries. They looked so good through the tv that I had to make them. Turns out I had her cookbook sitting on our kitchen counter for years with the recipe but never thought to make them. It's funny how watching something on tv makes it that much more appealing than reading it in a cookbook. Finding dried strawberries was a bit tricky, they weren't in the local grocery store like other dried fruit. I was able to find them at Fresh Market and stocked up.

For me these will make the perfect breakfast or snack to go along with my cup of tea! They would be great for a brunch, bridal shower or tea party. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Strawberry Scones
Yields: 14-16 scones
Slightly adapted from: Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients:
4 cups plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar, plus additional for sprinkling

2 Tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

1.5 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cold heavy cream (I used skim milk)

3/4 cup small-diced dried strawberries

1 egg beaten with 2 Tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture.

Combine until just blended. Toss the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, add them to the dough, and mix quickly. The dough may be a bit sticky.
Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with raw or granulated sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.