Strawberries and Cream Scones
The delicious combination of strawberries and cream baked into a light and tender scone- perfect for so many occasions!
Ever since these delectable pumpkin scones entered my life, I have become a scone-lover. Before that, I never made them. Ever. Because they seemed like too much work and the result was more than likely (in my mind) going to be dry and tough.
Oh, how wrong I was!
Scones are some of the easiest quick breads to throw together, especially if you keep one mantra running through your head: Don’t Overmix! Overmixing creates the tough, dry scones I referred to above. But mixed with a light, loving hand and scones are some of my new favorite treats and so very simple to prepare.
Nicole, a MKC (that’s Mel’s Kitchen Cafe for those confused) reader emailed me about this recipe she had tried from King Arthur Flour.
I love King Arthur Flour. I love strawberries. And I love scones.
So I made them. And oh my, heavenly combination of combinations!
These strawberry-studded scones with a light hint of cream and sweetness are absolutely wonderful and now are competing for a serious first-place ranking with the pumpkin scones. Delicately tender, they literally melt in your mouth, and while the scone dough itself is very low on sugar, the natural sweetness of the strawberries combined with the gentle drizzle of syrupy glaze make them…well…perfect.
I have visions of making them for our Easter morning breakfast because they just seem somehow Easter-morning appropriate.
When I first made them, they popped out of the oven in the early afternoon approximately 3 1/2 minutes before my five boys (four kids, one dad) came in from sledding in the bitter cold and we devoured them, all the while slurping this decadent tres leches hot cocoa.
I’m still dreaming about the “event.” I have a feeling, like Natalie suggested, that these scones can even transform a quick and dirty weeknight meal of scrambled eggs and smoothies into something utterly spectacular.
One Year Ago: Sweet Potato Fries
Two Years Ago: Delicious Whole Wheat Bread
Three Years Ago: White Velvet Sugar Cookies
Strawberries and Cream Scones
Ingredients
Scones:
- ½ cup diced fresh strawberries
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half or whipping cream
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 drops pure orange extract, optional
- ⅔ cup diced fresh strawberries
Glaze:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheet.
- For the scones, in a blender or food processor, process the 1/2 cup diced strawberries with the sugar and half-and-half or cream until the mixture is smooth. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, forks or your fingertips, work in the butter to the dry ingredients until the mixture is unevenly crumbly with the largest crumbs about the size of a pea.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the blended strawberry/cream mixture, the egg, the vanilla extract, and the orange extract, if using.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the dough just barely starts to come together. Add the 2/3 cup diced strawberries, gently folding them in, using your hands, if necessary, to pull the dough together into a cohesive mass. Take care not to overmix – it will make the scones tough. It’s ok to have a shaggy mess of dough as long as it is holding together for the most part.
- Lightly sprinkle your work surface/countertop with flour and divide the dough into two halves. Take one half and gently press the dough into a thick circle on the floured surface, about 6-7 inches in diameter. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to separate the dough into six equal triangles. Place each scone on the prepared baking sheet(s), spacing them about 2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining half of dough. Alternately, you can make smaller scones by dropping tablespoon-ful sizes of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Make the glaze by stirring together the sugar, water, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. If the mixture seems too dry, add a teaspoon of water gradually at a time until the mixture reaches the consistency of a thick syrup. Drizzle some of the syrup over the top of each scone.
- Bake the scones until they are just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges, 13-16 minutes. When properly baked, they should be moist (but not gummy) at the center.
- Serve the scones warm or at room temperature. The scones can also be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Just before serving, reheat very briefly in the microwave, or for 5 to 10 minutes, tented with aluminum foil, in a preheated 350°F oven.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour, based on a recommendation from Nicole (a MKC reader)
57 Comments on “Strawberries and Cream Scones”
Can’t wait to try those strawberry scones!
I have tried your scones and really like them but I wonder why some of your recipes call for an egg and some don’t. Also, some use baking powder and baking soda and some only use baking powder. I will say I like the ones using the egg best, all are good though. Thank you for taking the time and effort to come up with some wonderful recipe shares, I have loved many many of your recipes in all categories.
Hi Sandy – it really just boils down to the individual recipe. If you know you like scone recipes with egg best, you can use those ones as the base for other flavor variations!
I have some beautiful, tender rhubarb and would love to make these strawberry rhubarb scones. Any thoughts on how much to add and if anything else (like sugar) should be adjusted?
I’m honestly not sure, but it sounds like a yummy experiment! Maybe start with a cup of small-diced rhubarb (I’d probably toss it with a few tablespoons sugar before adding to the recipe).
Light and tasty. Liked the note and the details in the recipe. Shows you’ve tried to perfect recipe. Bagels next.
Mel, I’m hosting an Afternoon English Tea (herbal) for the three woman I visit teach (yes, it is going to be so much fun, pretty and so yummy) 🙂 I’m looking for a good scone recipe because like you, I have always preferred getting my calories from sweets that are moister and sweeter then scones but you can’t have an English Tea without scones. Can’t wait to try them ! Thanks!
Made these today and they were fabulous, though admittedly I had to use what I had and altered it a bit. I used coconut milk instead of the cream, and we had some beautiful peaches so I used those in place of the strawberries. I kept everything else the same. Also, I like to grate my slightly frozen butter into the flour to make things a little easier on myself.
I’ve had these pinned forever and finally made them this morning. So yummy!
Instead of separating them before baking I just made two large scone patties on the sheet and scored the top. After baking the scores made it easy to slice out each individual scone, and I didn’t have to deal with separating the dough. Sadly, I forgot the glaze so I made some sweetened whipped cream to top them. Delicious!
I made these this afternoon and they were lovely. Thanks for the great recipe!
First time I have ever made scones, I don’t usually like scones since they are usually dry and gross. These were DELICIOUS! I didn’t have cream but I did have buttermilk and they were very good. Having not tasted the cream version I can’t compare but they were very good, so one could use that as a substitute as well. 🙂 thanks for the lovely first scone experience.
Really enjoyed the scones. I shared some with my friends and they loved them as well. Easy recipe. I did use my food processor and pulsed until dough just came together, then kneaded the diced strawberry in by hand. Tender, moist and perfect. Thank you.
Slathered with Nutella….
I just wrote the comment asking about half and half substitutes. I’m finding on the internet a melted butter/milk mixture as a substitute. What do you think?
I’m looking for a ‘breakfast’ dinner tonight and I have strawberries so I think this would work. I don’t have half and half or whipping cream. Is there any substitute for this or will it change it too much? I do have skim milk. Thanks!
Jane – I’ve never tried the butter/milk substitution. I’d probably try the skim milk and see how that goes.
So delicious! Thanks for another winner.
Just made these and they were a HUGE hit with the family. They devoured the whole batch–hopefully that means I don’t have to make dinner! 😉 Thanks for another win, Mel!
I made these for mothers day and they were yummy. They’re not as sweet as I was expecting but strangely addictive. I ended up sprinkling the 2nd batch with raw sugar – that is the way to go for sure.
I made these a few years ago and I have to agree they are too die for.
I thought I had some strawberries then mid-recipe I realized I didn’t. I dug some apple-butter our of the fridge and substituted that instead and put some cinnamon on top. Delish!! Thanks Mel.
Made these this morning. The texture seemed right, they were very moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside, but they had kind of a flour like taste. Did I do something wrong or did I just not mix them enough?
Marci – I’m not sure what might have gone wrong. They aren’t overly sweet scones so they definitely have a light bready taste to them. It could be that you made them exactly right but may not love the floury taste. The only other thing I’d suggest is to make sure they weren’t overfloured but if the baked scones were moist and not dry, that may not have been an issue.
Another success (no surprise, eh?)! I was a little worried when the dough wasn’t very wet but it was shaggy & holding together so I said to Self, “If Mel says it’s ok to look like that, trust her.” They are fabulous! I’m sure you’ll never tire of hearing that. I’ll be making these for my quilt retreat campers at the end of April (right about the time Baby Girl is due). Yummy!
Marci – we reheated these for a day or two for 20 seconds in the microwave and they tasted great (in my opinion). I haven’t tried the smaller version. I would suggest if you do cutting the time down by 3-4 minutes.
Also, have you tried the smaller version and know the cooking time for them?
Have you tried reheating them? Are they as good as when they come out of the oven?
Made these this morning. I used strawberries from our strawberry picking adventure on Friday. They were so delicious! The dough was a little tricky to work with once I added the diced strawberries- it was a bit wet, but not so bad that I couldn’t move it. Next time I think I might add the strawberries after I have shaped them into triangles- I think it will be easier to work with and they’ll be prettier. 🙂
I just made these and they are fantastic!!! Thanks again for such a delicious recipe! 🙂
I made these today for our mommy brunch and they were perfect! I was nervous about them being dry so I read the flour tutorial and I am so thankful I did! I now have an explanation for why my Heath Bar cookies turned out flat as pancakes a month ago! I thought filling with a spoon was the best way to go…I’m so glad to know the correct way to do it now! Thanks for everything!
marvelous! the difference between scones made with cream and scones make with milk is so noticeable–these are great!
@Mel…thanks for the advice…I’ll be trying these babies out later today. I’ll let you know how they come out. Oh, and congrats on the pregnancy I pray you have a safe delivery. My first-born turns 21 on the 27th April (good people)
@Jennifer.. I had my first experience using soy milk to bake with (none of my family are latose intolerant) last weekend when my daughter had an order for a cake and the client specifically asked for soy milk. I found it to add a slightly metallic (?) taste to the cake and the cake and frosting came out dryer than normal. Next time I’m going to try adding a little more fat to the cake to make up for the loss of it in the milk. I would tell you that I substitute full cream evaporated milk for cream wherever possible to cut the calories (and the cost ;-), but I’m guessing you are lactose intolerant yourself. It does affect the texture somewhat so I tweak the recipes however I can. All I can say is to try, try and try again…its how the BEST creations are born!
Jennifer – I have no idea the result of soy milk in place of heavy cream. I haven’t baked with soy milk at all so I’m sorry I can’t help you! If you dare try it, let me know how it goes.
Barbij – I used granulated sugar and liked the subtle texture it gave to the scones but if you used powdered sugar and it worked out ok then it seems like it is versatile as to what sugar you can use in the glaze.
Tracee – baby girl is due in six weeks (April 29).
I have tried, but I just don’t like scones. I can’t explain it. I don’t like English Muffins either. I guess I’m just a bagel and muffin kind of girl. King Arthur flours changed my life. The fact that they are so much cheaper at that big store that starts with a W than at my local grocer helps! When is that baby girl due?
Yum, those look good. Love fresh strawberries.
Okay,Mel,I have some confusion with the glaze. Do I use granulated sugar or powdered? You specify granulated in the dough part but it is not specified in the glaze… (neither does KAF). I initially did granulated, but then dumped that for powder, but I really have no clue which one it should be… Thanks!
These scones look wonderful. Do you think it would be ok to use soymilk in place of the heavy cream/ half & half? I mean, would the consistency come out right or how would this change the nature of the scone itself?
I hardly ever make scones, but I don’t know why. I need to change my ways and make these!
I have a brunch to go to next week with some friends and I could not decide what to take! I finally narrowed it down to several of your recipes but this one is gonna be it! I can’t wait to make these beautiful things! It will be my first attempt at scones so lets hope I get it right! Thanks for the recipe!
Hmm, wonder if you could substitute in blackberries and white
chocolate chips as Caribou Coffee offers. Can’t wait to try these!
Five boys…I like that. Made me laugh
Diane – I think fresh orange zest would be a fabulous addition/substitution for the recipe. Great idea!
Hi Lisa Maria – my inclination is to think that frozen strawberries will be too watery/liquidy for this recipe but if that is all you have access to without paying a huge amount for fresh, I’d recommend thawing the strawberries and draining them very well before adding them to the recipe. Good luck!
I thought I was the only one who served scrambled eggs and fruit smoothies for dinner. I’m thinking it sounds great tonight with these scones. I have never made scones before but these look great!
Yum! I never make scones. Maybe I’ll need to change things this weekend.
I have a very similar recipe on my blog, but I use vanilla bean paste to add a little extra yumminess. These look so good!
Just took these out of the oven. They’re amazing! No surprise there though – everything on your blog is amazing. 🙂 Thanks for another good one!
Hi Mel
I’m your newest follower and so happy to have found your site! I live in the Caribbean so fresh strawberries are really expensive, do you think its possible to use frozen (which is somewhat cheaper). I’m guessing they’d have to be fully thawed and added last?
Thanks in advance and God bless!
I’m still stocking my pantry (that’s acceptable after a year and a half of marriage, right?), so I don’t have orange extract, but I do have some oranges – do you think a few gratings of zest would do the trick? Because I do love zest. Just thinking about it makes me want to go find a recipe based on orange zest. Mmm.
Those scones are beautiful and look so good. I’m going to bookmark these!
I too love scones! These look great. My favorite part of scones is that they can be frozen prior to baking. I flash freeze them after cutting and then wrap individually in Saran wrap, and freeze. This way I can have a fresh scone any given morning by just baking a little longer! Yum!
These really would be a perfect Easter morning breakfast!! Love this!
I love scones, and have made them many times. Several of the recipes I have made are from King Arthur Flour (the BEST flour!), but I haven’t tried this recipe. It looks amazing, and I agree that it would be perfect for Easter brunch! YUM!
I’ve made these before and LOVED them! 🙂
Mmmm, looks good. Maybe these will be your spring/summer scone and pumpkin can be your fall/winter choice? 🙂 I love KAF, too. I can’t wait to try these!
Mmm! I love strawberries and cream anything – these look great!
These sound yummy – and they look so pretty. I was thinking the same thing about these being a great Easter brunch item. Plus, the ingredients I always have on hand which is nice!