Strawberry "Shortcake" Drop Scones
We know what you should do with those first berries you pick this year!
If the very first thing you do with the sweet, still sun-warm strawberries you picked is eat a bunch by hand, the second thing you should do is set some aside for this recipe. With a simple scone and lightly flavoured cream as the backdrop, this dessert is the perfect way to celebrate the best of late spring’s finest fruit. Of course, this dessert is wonderful with store-bought strawberries too, so don’t let not being near a berry farm stand between you and this treat.
Strawberry “Shortcake” Drop Scones
The hardest part of this entire recipe is simply whisking the cream — and family and friends should be happy to take turns with that when they know what awaits them!
Ingredients
Strawberries:
- 3 cups strawberries, diced
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest and juice of one lemon
Scones:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup butter, cold
- 1 ½ cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp icing sugar
Preparation
Combine the strawberries, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover and transfer to the fridge for a minimum of one hour or overnight if you are making ahead.
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Grate the butter into the dry ingredients and use the tips of your fingers to work the butter into the flour. Pour in the buttermilk and use your hands to gently bring the dough together. Pull the dough apart into six sections and gently ‘drop’ them onto a baking sheet. Brush the tops gently with buttermilk and sprinkle with some sugar. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until they start to lightly brown on top. Remove from oven.
Combine the whipping cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar into a large bowl and whisk. It will probably take a good 8-10 minutes of whisking so feel free to enlist help to take turns! Slice the biscuits open and spoon the berries and a dollop of whipped cream onto the bottom halves, before topping with the top half of the biscuit. Add extra whipped cream and berries on top and serve.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
