Strawberry Scones

I love scones, but have never attempted to make them before. They always seemed intimidating. Then, I found this recipe. It's not hard at all! Plus, the addition of fresh strawberries makes them moist and full of flavor.

The whole family enjoyed these for breakfast, and for desert, and for a snack! I think these would make a fantastic Easter breakfast!

Strawberry Scones

Adapted from FamilyFun.com

Ingredients
1 cup hulled and finely diced fresh strawberries
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus a little for sprinkling
1 TB baking powder
1/2 teas salt
1/4 teas ground nutmeg
A lemon, for zest
6 TB cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup plus 1 TB light cream
1 teas vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Heat your oven to 425ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, using a few spots of butter or cooking oil to stick it in place. Set the baking sheet aside.

2. Place the diced strawberries on several sheets of paper towel to absorb their juice. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Zest half of the lemon into the ingredients, taking care to remove just the outermost skin and not the white pith.

3. Cut in the butter with two butter knives or a pastry blender until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries, tossing them gently with a fork to coat them.

4. Make a well in the mixture. Blend the 1/2 cup of light cream and the vanilla extract in a measuring cup and pour them into the well. Using as few strokes as possible, gently stir the dough until it forms a ball. Let the dough sit for 1 minute.

5. Clean and flour your hands and dust your work surface with flour. Place the dough on the floured surface and knead it gently three or four times. Transfer it to the large baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle. Using a lightly oiled pizza cutter or a serrated knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges, as you would a pizza. Use a small spatula or pie server to carefully separate the pieces, leaving at least an inch between them.

6. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining TB of light cream, then sprinkle the surfaces with sugar. Bake the scones until the outsides are crusty and starting to brown, about 18 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then slide the parchment and the scones onto a wire rack to cool for another 20 minutes before serving.

When serving the leftovers, if there are any, warm for 30-45 seconds in the microwave.