Orange Glazed Strawberry Scones

Strawberry Scones 

with an Orange Glaze

Okay, so it's not the best picture, but they're delicious I promise!  What I love about this recipe is that it's a blank canvas.  I made it with strawberries today; but you can use any kind of fruit, substitute yogurt for cream, add oats or nuts - the possibilities are endless. 

 Scone Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp lemon zest  
• 6 tbsp cold butter, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced and dried

Glaze Ingredients:

•  2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp orange zest

You can mix this by hand or use a mixer, but since I'm lazy I always use my Kitchen Aid whenever possible.  Start with washing and slicing your strawberries (or whatever kind of fruit you choose).  Then set them on a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.  

Next, combine the cream and extracts in a small bowl and mixing them well.  Set them aside for later.  

Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg to a larger bowl or your mixer and mix well.  

Using a scorer, get 2 tablespoons of zest from a fresh lemon and add it to the flour mixture.  

 
 Mix in the lemon zest and then at the butter.  It's helpful if the butter is still cold and has been sliced or cubed.  

If you're doing this part by hand then you will need a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour.  Using a mixer on the lowest speed works great too - don't go too fast or you will have flour everywhere! 

Once the butter has been cut in well, the mixture should have small pea-sized clumps of flour.  

Add the strawberries to the flour mixture and then slowly add the cream mixture to it as you stir. DO NOT OVER MIX! Over-mixing will cause the dough to become tough and chewy.  Mix the ingredients together just until they've combined. 

 Turn the dough mixture out onto a floured board and carefully shape it into a flat round about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Do not knead the dough, it will be very sticky, so just use some flour  on your hands to shape it. 

Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into wedges.  This usually yields eight 3-inch wedges that will double in size once baked.  After you've cut the wedges carefully place them onto a baking sheet that has been covered in wax or parchment paper.  Be sure to separate each wedge by at least one inch on all sides so it can bake evenly.  

 Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 16-20 minutes.  They will be lightly browned on top when done.  

Don't forget the glaze!

While your scones are baking you can make a very easy glaze to put on top.  I usually use lemon, but you can do any kind of citrus really.  

Score one orange for zest.  Squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice from the orange into a bowl.  Add  2/3 cup of confectioners (powdered) sugar and mix well.  That's it!  

The glaze should be thick enough to coat your spoon and then you can drizzle it over the scones after they have cooled.  If its not thick enough, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.