Strawberry Lemonade Scones

It is strawberry season in British Columbia, and I am loving it! These Strawberry Lemonade Scones are a great way to use up the rest of those slightly overripe strawberries sitting in your fridge.

This recipe can easily be made plant-based. Simply swap out all the dairy products such as butter, yogurt, and cream for their plant-based counterparts. This recipe was initially tested with plant-based butter and they turned out perfect, so don’t be afraid to make substitutions.

Scone recipes may seem daunting, and I have written a lot under ‘directions’, but it’s only because I want you to succeed. Scones are not as difficult as some say they are. The trick is to keep your ingredients cold. If you are working in a warm kitchen like me, it’s important to put your ingredients in the fridge or even the freezer while you work on other steps. If you can manage that, these will turn out soft, flaky, and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Zest from 1 small lemon (about 1 tbsp)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp cold butter or vegan butter substitute (85 g)

Juice from 1 small lemon (about 2.5 tbsp)

1/2 cup half and half cream (plus 1 tbsp more for brushing on top)

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used 6%, feel free to use yogurt with more or less milk fat)

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced or chopped

Demerara or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cut butter into small pieces and place in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Add the lemon zest and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Massage the zest into the sugar with your fingers, until the sugar is a light-yellow colour and smells fragrant.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl with the lemon sugar. Whisk together.

Add the lemon juice, half and half and plain yogurt to a small bowl and whisk with a fork until completely mixed. Set aside in the fridge.

Take the butter out of the freezer and using your hands or a pastry cutter, work into the dry ingredients. I rub the butter and dry ingredients between my fingers until the mixture looks like coarse sand, with some larger pieces.

Make a well in the center of the flour and butter and pour in the wet ingredients. Using a fork, mix the dough until it is shaggy looking, with dry bits still showing. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and push it together in a rectangular shape using your hands or a bench scraper. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is about 10 inches long and 6 inches wide, sprinkling with flour if it is sticking. Cut the dough into 2 halves. Spread 1/2 cup of strawberries over half of the dough and using the bench scraper (or a knife), scoop the other half of the dough up and place it on the half with the strawberries (like a sandwich). Lightly roll the dough out again until it is the same size as before, cut into 2 halves, and spread the remaining strawberries on half. Place the half with no strawberries on top of the half with strawberries (like before), and lightly roll into a square, about 1 inch thick.

Cut the dough square in quarters, then cut each quarter in half diagonally. You will be left with 8 triangles. Place each triangle onto the prepared baking sheet and pop the entire tray into the freezer for 10 minutes.

After they have chilled for 10 minutes, brush the top of each scone with half and half, and sprinkle with demerara or turbinado sugar. Bake on the middle rack for 18-22 minutes, until lightly golden on top.

Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with butter, jam, cream cheese, or on their own!