In The Alaska from Scratch Cookbook, blogger Maya Wilson celebrates the state’s finest foods and traditions.
I developed this recipe one Alaska spring day when I had some ripe strawberries that needed to be used. They have since become one of my favorite recipes of all time. Years later, when I made my wife’s first-ever breakfast in bed, I served these up with a mug of hot black coffee. She now requests them often.
Buttery and golden, these scones are studded with juicy strawberry quarters, then drenched in vanilla cream glaze while still warm from the oven. The trick to a perfect, tender scone is to be content with imperfection—that is to say, don’t overwork the dough. Allow it to be a crumbly mess that just barely comes together. The perfection comes later when you take that first bite.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make the strawberry scones: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles crumbs.
- Toss in the strawberries and coat them lightly with the flour mixture. Add the half-and-half and fold gently until the mixture just begins to come together and forms a soft, yet shaggy dough. Add more half-and-half if needed to get the dough to come together. Do not knead or overmix the dough, as this will cause the scones to become dense and will smash the strawberries in the process.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a 1"-thick rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 6 squares, then cut the squares on the diagonal to form 12 triangles. Place the scones on the baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface, then place a cooling rack on top of the parchment. Remove the scones from the pan to the cooling rack. Cool for 10 minutes.
- To make the glaze: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, half-and-half, and vanilla until smooth and slightly runny.
- Taking each scone by the bottom, dip them top side down directly into the glaze until the top is covered. Return the scones to the cooling rack and allow the glaze to drip down the sides and off the rack onto the parchment. The glaze will firm up as the scones cool. These scones are best enjoyed the same day and are delicious warm.
Reprinted from The Alaska from Scratch Cookbook. Copyright © 2018 by Maya Wilson. Published by Rodale, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photography by Maya Wilson.
