Strawberry Scones

These scones were quick and easy to make. As an added bonus they were very tasty. My husband ate about 4 of them on his own. I did have a few problems while making the scones. The amount of liquid seemed off as I could not pull the mixture together. I ended up adding more cream one tablespoon at a time until the dough came together. The nutmeg and lemon zest added an interesting touch that really worked well for these scones. I found the recipe at the Family Fun magazine website.

	1 cup hulled and finely diced fresh strawberries
	2 cups flour
	1/3 cup sugar, plus a little for sprinkling
	1 tablespoon baking powder
	1/2 teaspoon salt
	1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
	A lemon, for zest
	6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
	1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon light cream
	1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, using a few spots of butter or cooking oil to stick it in place. Set the baking sheet aside.

2. Place the diced strawberries on several sheets of paper towel to absorb their juice. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Zest half of the lemon into the ingredients, taking care to remove just the outermost skin and not the white pith.

3. Cut in the butter with two butter knives or a pastry blender until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries, tossing them gently with a fork to coat them.

4. Make a well in the mixture. Blend the 1/2 cup of light cream and the vanilla extract in a measuring cup and pour them into the well. Using as few strokes as possible, gently stir the dough until it forms a ball. Let the dough sit for 1 minute.

5. Clean and flour your hands and dust your work surface with flour. Place the dough on the floured surface and knead it gently three or four times. Transfer it to the large baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle. Using a lightly oiled pizza cutter or a serrated knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges, as you would a pizza. Use a small spatula or pie server to carefully separate the pieces, leaving at least an inch between them.

6. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining tablespoon of light cream, then sprinkle the surfaces with sugar. Bake the scones until the outsides are crusty and starting to brown, about 18 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then slide the parchment and the scones onto a wire rack to cool for another 20 minutes before serving.