Recipe adapted by Ellen Simonetti from The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet
Ingredients:
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- 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup stone-ground cornmeal (fine or medium ground)
- ¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (you can use palm sugar if you prefer)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from about one large lemon)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ¾ cup freeze dried strawberries
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) cold buttermilk
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup sliced almonds, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, sugar, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender, blending for about 10 seconds. You will still have large chunks of butter.
Add freeze dried strawberries and buttermilk and blend with pastry blender for another 20 seconds or until dough starts to come together. If it looks too dry, add another teaspoon or two of buttermilk. Use your hands to form a cohesive dough by gently kneading it for a couple of turns. The key to this dough is to not overwork it! It will still contain large chunks of butter.
Transfer dough to a clean surface and pat into a circle approximately 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal wedges and place on prepared baking pan, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Brush tops lightly with egg wash, press with sliced almonds, if desired, and sprinkle each scone with about ¼ teaspoon of sugar.
Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch.
Scones are best served warm. If making in advance, freeze cooled scones and reheat in 250-degree oven for 5-10 minutes just before serving.