On this blessedly cool and rainy Monday it’s a relief to get back in my kitchen after the doldrums of Hotpocalypse Week. And what better way to celebrate a return to baking weather than a scone? A little sweet, a little savory, and made with the very tail end of the season’s strawberries, there’s just nothing not to like about these little babies. But the best part? They’re not popsicles.

Happy rainy Monday!

Adapted from my Cranberry-Orange Scones, originally adapted from Bon Appetit

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Strawberry, Lemon & Rosemary Scones

INGREDIENTS

• 9 oz (2 cups) whole white wheat flour
• 4 and 1/2 oz (aobut 1 cup) whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 and 1/2 oz (1/3 cup) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling (organic turbinado)
• 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (see Options)
• zest of 1 large lemon, preferably organic
• 2 – 3 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary (see Options)
• 6 oz (3/4 cup) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 generous cup hulled and quartered strawberries
• about 3/4 cup chilled cream, milk or buttermilk, plus extra for glazing

METHODS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (375 F convection).
2. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking, salt and pepper; whisk until well blended. Add lemon zest and rosemary and mix well.
3. Add butter and rub between your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Be patient with this step; the point is to incorporate the butter so that all the flour gets a little fat, but to leave small bits of butter whole so as to create nice flaky holes in the scone. Add strawberries and toss gently. Gradually add milk, tossing with a fork until moist clumps form. Stop adding liquid when it seems the dough will stay together; if the dough is too sticky, the scones will lose their shape upon cooking. If the dough seems crumbly and will not hold a shape, add more liquid 1 tbsp at a time. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface (I find it is easiest to split the dough into two portions at this point).
4. Knead briefly to bind the dough, about 4 turns. Pat the dough into a rough rectangle about 1/2 inch high. Cut scone shapes with a cutter (I used a 50 mm, about 2-inch, round cutter) or sharp knife. Transfer to a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet, spacing at least an inch apart. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. With a pastry brush, glaze the tops of each scone with milk and top with a bit of sugar.
5. Bake until the tops are golden brown and the middle is firm, about 18 – 20 minutes, turning the pans in the oven halfway through the cooking time. Transfer to wire rack to cool.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Yields 32 , 2 and 1/2-inch scones.

OPTIONS

1. I wanted a sweet scone with a touch of savory from the pepper & rosemary, but I was cautious about overwhelming the strawberry flavor with potent rosemary. Perhaps a bit too cautious: these are quite good as they are, but the savory elements are rather faint. Next time I would increase the rosemary to 1 tbsp total, and up the black pepper to about 1/4 tsp.
2. If you want your scones really jam-packed with strawberries, increase the amount to 1 and 1/2 cups.
3. I think these would work with frozen strawberries as well: if you have frozen whole strawberries, I recommend a quick pulse or two in the food processor, then add them to the dough while frozen. They will release water as the scones bake, so leave the dough a bit drier than you would normally, just wet enough to hold together.

STORE

Loosely covered by a clean kitchen towel, at room temperature, for 2 days. Scones also freeze & re-heat well for up to 6 months.

SEASON

Early summer.