Pass the tea, please!
Who doesn’t love a good scone? I mean, they’re so versatile. Make them sweet, savory, spicy, fruity – you name it! I’ve seen and tasted all kinds: cheddar jalapeño, blueberry yogurt, cranberry orange, and of course, the satisfying strawberry. So today, we’re talking scones. I am bringing you the classic strawberry scone, but with a twist – a little bit of lemon and poppy seeds! Poppy seeds seem to go with just about everything – any type of dessert, salads, pasta dishes – the list is endless.
Scones are certainly not as sweet as cupcakes, but could have about the same sweetness as muffins. However, scones, as you probably know, have a slightly coarser, more crumbly texture. Oftentimes, they can be dry, but certainly not these; my strawberry lemon poppy seed scones have a moist, pillowy texture. I know “pillowy” is not a word, but they describe these scones the best 🙂
Like many fruit lovers, I have a weakness for anything involving sweet, juicy strawberries. However, you’re going to laugh when I say that I used frozen strawberries even though I had fresh ones on hand. I find that the frozen strawberries give the scone extra moisture that fresh ones do not. What I love about this particular recipe is that it yields a scone even scone haters would love! They practically have the same amount of moisture as muffins. What is there to hate?
People often lather scones with glazes, but these are bursting with flavor that I don’t think it’s necessary at all. Glazes are like the safety nets for scones – when the scones are not sweet enough, you just drizzle the glaze on. However, these really don’t need it. Trust me. I think you’ll like them just the way they are. *cue Bruno Mars song*
Let’s discuss ingredients. Instead of using heavy cream, I used plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, and boy, is it worth it. The yogurt makes the scones slightly lighter and gives them a delicious, tart flavor that complements the sweetness of the strawberries, tanginess of the lemon, and the subtlety of the poppy seeds. As far as the strawberries are concerned, I think frozen works just as fine. In fact, I prefer them! They develop an especially soft texture as they bake, and the batter absorbs the extra juices. Other than the Greek yogurt and strawberries, the rest of the ingredients are your usual cast of characters. So easy, right?
What more is there to say about these delicious treats? Let them speak for themselves: make a batch! 🙂
Strawberry Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 6 tbsp of white, granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup of poppy seeds
- 1 large lemon, zest
- 8 tbsp of unsalted butter, frozen
- 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup of skim milk
- 1 large lemon, juice
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- coarse sugar ((optional))
- Preheat oven to 400?F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and poppy seeds. Add the lemon zest, and whisk once again.
- Grate the frozen butter, and toss it into the flour mixture. Combine with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the plain Greek yogurt, egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Drizzle the wet mixture over the flour mixture, and mix together with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.
- Gently fold in the strawberries, but do not overwork the dough. It will be wet. Work the dough into a ball, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Press it into an 8 inch disk, and cut it into equal wedges with a sharp knife coated in flour. Top with the coarse sugar.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden brown along the edges. Allow scones to cool for a few minutes. Enjoy!
This scone recipe will be submitted to the Jane Austen Festival Scone Recipe Contest for a chance to be served to hundreds of people at the 8th Annual Jane Austen Festival in July at the Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky.
