It’s been a while since I posted something breakfasty, and I don’t have a good scone recipe on the site yet, so I thought it was high time I created one. Plus, with strawberry season around the corner, it’s a good time to start stockpiling recipes to use them in. So, give a hearty welcome to the new kid on the block and my new favorite breakfast treat — Strawberry White Chocolate Scones!
British vs American Scones
There are two main types of scones in the world—British scones and American scones. There are also some pretty strong—and varied—opinions about which of these versions is the correct one. I’ll tell you right off the bat that I am NOT a scone expert…and I like both kinds equally. No drama here. But I will give a brief explanation of the difference between the two types, in case you’re curious.
Generally speaking, British scones are much less sweet than American ones (big surprise there—we love our sweets here in the U.S.!). They tend to be more like what we’d call a biscuit here in the states—relatively light and flakey. American scones, on the other hand, are denser, sweeter, much more buttery, and full of mix-ins like fruit and chocolate.
As you might guess by the photos, this recipe is more of an American-type scone. These scones aren’t overly sweet though—in fact, there’s only 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar in the whole batch. But the strawberries and white chocolate add additional pops of sweetness throughout, resulting in what is, in my opinion, the perfect amount of sweetness. They’re moist, but not terribly dense, and a little on the biscuity side flavor-wise. These are my ideal scone.
The Art of Making a Flaky Scone
Regardless of whether you prefer a British- or American-style scone, I think we can all agree that scones should have a flaky texture to them. And the way you get that flaky texture is the same way you get it in pie crust: by working cold butter into a flour mixture. For these scones (and, I believe, most scone recipes), you first combine the dry ingredients—flour, leaveners, and salt—then use your hands or a pastry blender to work the cold butter into the flour mixture. Just as in pie crust, you don’t want to work the butter for too long. You should end up with pea-sized (or slightly larger) pieces of butter.
Then, you add the mix-ins (in this case, strawberries and white chocolate), then slowly add your liquid. I prefer buttermilk, but if you don’t have it or don’t like it, you can use any milk, with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar added to it to make it curdle just a bit. As you add your liquid, mix gently, using either your hands or a fork. The mixture will feel dry, but don’t be tempted to add more liquid—you’ll end up with a sticky mess. Just gently press the mixture together to form a rough ball. Then flatten the ball into a disc about 1/2″-3/4″ thick, and cut into six pieces.
Now comes the next trick for flaky scones—again, similar to pie crust. Freeze or refrigerate the scones for at least half an hour before baking. This ensures the butter is nice and chilled, so that as it melts during baking it leaves little pockets throughout the scones, which result in all that flaky goodness.
And that, my friends, is all there is to making flaky, delicious scones for your breakfast table.
Other Breakfast Treats You May Like
If you’re a fan of breakfast foods (who isn’t??), you might also enjoy these tasty morning treats:
- Buckwheat Rhubarb Muffins with Pecan Streusel
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola
- Apricot Ginger Granola
- Gingerbread Granola
As you can see, the list of breakfast items on my site is heavy on the granola, with not much else (though those rhubarb muffins are so good they make up for a lack of anything else)…which is why I’m so glad to add these Strawberry White Chocolate Scones to the list! What other breakfast treats would you like to see on this site? Leave me your wish list in the comments below!
Give these scones a try and let me know what you think—leave a comment or tag me in your photos on Instagram (@northern.ginger) or Facebook!
Happy Baking, and Happy Breakfasting!
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Strawberry White Chocolate Scones
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c flour
- 1 1/2 T sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 T butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 3/4 c strawberries, chopped small
- 1/2 c white chocolate, chopped small, or white chocolate chips
- 1/2 c buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- coarse sparkling sugar or raw sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Using your hands, rub the cold butter into the flour mixture until you have pea-sized or slightly larger pieces.
- Stir in strawberries and white chocolate, mixing until all pieces are coated in flour.
- Combine buttermilk and vanilla bean paste, then slowly add to the flour mixture, mixing gently with hands or a fork.
- Once all buttermilk has been added, use your hands to gently press the mixture together into a ball. Note: the mixture will be pretty dry at this point, but don't add more liquid. Also, make sure not to overwork the dough. Just press it together until it forms a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, press the ball into a 1/2"-3/4" thick disc.
- Cut disc in half, then cut each half into thirds, making 6 triangles.
- Place scones onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, then set the sheet in the freezer for 30-60 minutes (optional, but it makes for a fluffier, flakier scone).
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Bake scones for 12-16 minutes, or until scones are golden brown and there are no wet-looking spots on top.
- Allow scones to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.