Recipe: Strawberry Scones and Blue Cheese Scones (freeze ahead)

STRAWBERRY SCONES

"These directions call for shaping the scones like drop biscuits, but you can make them in triangles by forming the dough into one large circle and then cutting the circle into wedges before baking.

Scones also can be frozen before baking for use at a later date. Bake frozen scones in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes."

2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, as needed, divided use
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut in pieces
2 eggs
2/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or brush lightly with oil. (You could alternately spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray.)

Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter in a food processor with a metal blade, or use two butter knives to mix dry ingredients while chopping up butter into smaller pieces. Cut butter until mixture resembles cornmeal.

In a large bowl combine eggs, cream, and vanilla using a whisk. Stir in strawberries with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Fold in dry ingredients with a spatula (add up to 1/4 cup additional flour, if needed for desired consistency. Drop scones into rounds onto prepared cookie sheet.

Sprinkle scones with sugar and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

VARIATION:

STILTON SCONES:
To make Stilton Scones, leave out the strawberries and vanilla in the Strawberry Scones recipe, and add 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese. Season with a few drops of cayenne pepper sauce; do not sprinkle with sugar before baking. Bake for the same amount of time as the Strawberry Scones recipe.

Makes 6 servings
Source: The Everything Classic Recipes Book by Lynette Rohrer Shirk