Strawberry Basil Scones have a combination that is both sweet and savory. The sweetness of the strawberry and the herbaceous of the basil pairs perfectly together.
The first ever scone I made was from one of those top secret recipe cookbooks. It was for a pumpkin scone from Starbucks. I had honestly never eaten one before, so I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for when taste testing.
I wasn't even sure what a scone was at that time. From the ingredients list, scones reminded me of a biscuit, without dropping the dough onto the baking sheet, or without cutting with a biscuit cutter.
Later I learned what a scone was...
What is a scone anyway?
Google gives the definition -
"a small unsweetened or lightly sweetened biscuit-like cake made from flour, fat, and milk and sometimes having added fruit. "
I was correct, in a way when I first read over those ingredients. It's also in a way similar in the way you make them. From the base ingredients to the fact that you don't want to over work the dough, or they will be tough.
How to make perfect scones?
- It all starts with the ingredients. You want to make sure that your butter is super cold. I always cut mine into cubes and stash in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Sift together your dry ingredients. You may think you can skip this step, but take the extra minute, and just do it. Sifting them together will make sure that they are totally mixed, and makes for a more even rise.
- You can use a food processor, like many recipes say, but know that going the old fashioned way, and using a pastry cutter, you can actually see how much you've broken down the butter. I used an older food processor once, and the heat caused the butter to cool too much. This probably won't happen with new models.
- Don't place too much flour onto your surface. I actually find the best way to do this step...lay a piece of parchment paper out, put about 1 tablespoon of flour on it, spread it out, and then drop your dough out. Flour your hands, and then flatten the dough out. The parchment paper, you can just pick it up, place it on your baking sheet, and your good to go.
- To cut your scones, I find that the largest most sharp knife in your kitchen is the way to go. The sharper the better.
- Pull your scones apart after you've moved the parchment paper to the baking sheet, and flip them over to bake. Yea? Yea.
What are some other ingredients that I can use?
- blueberries
- lemon
- peaches
- nuts
- dried fruits
- spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
- canned pumpkin (if you use a wet ingredient, you need to reduce the amount of liquid you use)
- chocolate
Here are some scone recipes that I think you'll enjoy:
- Dark Chocolate Scones
- Fresh Peach Scones and Vanilla Bean Glaze
- Lemon Scones
- Vanilla Bean Scones
- Peppermint Mocha Scones
Yield: 8 scones
Strawberry Basil Scones have a combination that is both sweet and savory. The sweetness of the strawberry and the herbaceous of the basil pairs perfectly together.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into ½ inch cubes, and stashed in the freezer for 5 minutes
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set aside a large baking sheet.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter, until you reach a wet sandy texture.
- Add the milk, lemon juice, basil and vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Don't over mix.
- Fold in the sliced strawberries. Being careful not to over mix.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper out on the counter, enough to cover your baking sheet. Dust with a tablespoon of flour. Drop the dough out, and dust your hands with flour. Using your hands form the dough into a round disc, about 1 inch thick. Using a very large knife, slice the dough, being careful not to slice through the parchment paper. Pick up the parchment paper and place on the baking sheet. Flip the scones over, and apart about 2 inches. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow scones to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 232Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 394mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 4g
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