Strawberry Scones With Fresh Whipped Orange Blossom Cream

Sunday morning I carried my breakfast (Olive oil-fried egg on sourdough toast with tomatoes + balsamic. Try it. You’ll love it.) and latte to the backyard. Still in my pajamas I sat on an old, battered, sun-bleached adirondack and just ate and sipped. There was no rushing. No half-eaten bagels. No missing homework. Gavin was laying on the couch building his Minecraft server with a friend and Stella was planning a trip to town to film footage for a video she would probably spend the afternoon editing. The chickens walked in front of me, pausing to stretch a leg out (which is the equivalent of a chicken yawn) setting the pace for the day. Slow. Lazy. Hot.

So far, I’m really feeling this summer… Are you?

Let’s talk about this most perfect summer dessert… Why are we not just making regular shortcakes, you might ask? Simple. Because A) I love me some scones and B) I think they have more flavor and C) because we can. I wanted a dessert that would dazzle, have some make-ahead options + something that screams of summer. My mind instantly went to berries because they are so juicy and delicious right now. In addition to sandwiching berries in the scone-cakes while serving, we also fold cut strawberries into the scone dough to really drive home the strawberry vibe. Then we sprinkle them with orange sugar prior to baking which gives them a nice, crunchy outer crust with lots of flavor. I wanted to lace that orange essence throughout, so we throw more orange into the macerated berries + whipped cream. These are so easy + beautiful that I can’t wait for you guys to make them.

I did this recipe in conjunction with a bunch of other amazing bloggers for a virtual potluck (#VirtualMidsummerPotluck4Peace). The goal was to all come together to share a little love + light. Things are tense and weird in the world right now…just an opportunity to share a little sunshine through food. This is the recipe I would bring if we were all meeting up together…I would assemble them just prior to eating, but have everything prepped ahead of time. Once everyone has posted their recipes, I will link to all of them below. A big THANK YOU to Saghar Setareh of Lab Noon for putting this together!!!

Before We Get Started:

1. Orange Blossom Water. First, don’t let orange blossom water scare you away. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use, simply omit it from the recipe and everything will still turn out marvvy.
2. Orange Sugar. This gives the scone-cakes amazing flavor and crunch — LOVE IT. Just note you will have extra and it will rim a cocktail glass like a boss. Stored leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge will last for several weeks-ish.
3. Make Ahead. Unbaked scones freeze beautifully. Once you get to the end of Step 4, freeze the strawberry scones solid, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe, resealable plastic bag and shove back into the freezer. When ready to bake, simply unwrap and move onto the next step, no need to defrost but do add some extra bake time to make sure they’re cooked through.
4. Biscuit Cutter. If you don’t have a 2-inch round biscuit/cookie cutter, flour the rim of a glass that has a similar circumference and use it.
5. Freezer Time. I think freezer time is pretty nonnegotiable with scones. If you don’t have a freezer large enough to accommodate a baking sheet, then set them on plates. The freeze-time helps maintain their shape whilst baking, as well as get a wee bit more lift off.
6. Top Rack of the Oven. I love to bake scones and cookies in the top rack of the oven. I like to bronze them up quick which shortens the bake time and lessens the chance of over-baking the middle all while getting a healthy golden tan on top. Know your oven…if it runs really hot up at the top, then consider using the middle rack.
7. Cutting the Strawberry Scones. These are tender as scones are wont to be…as such, use a gentle touch when cutting. I used a sharp knife and made sure they were completely cool before cutting.

Let’s bake some strawberry scones, shall we?

Strawberry Scones With Fresh Whipped Orange Blossom Cream

Makes 10 Strawberry Scones

INGREDIENTS

For the Orange Sugar

• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup orange zest

For the Scones

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces, cold
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 large egg, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup strawberries, rinsed, hulled + small dice
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For the Strawberries

• 2 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled + halved
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• Juice of ½ an orange

For the Whipped Orange Blossom Cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To Make The Orange Sugar: Add the orange zest and sugar to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until they’re well blended, but you still see bright bits of zest. Set aside.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the cake flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Cut the chilled butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, two forks or your hands. Stop when the butter is the size of large peas.
3. Mix the 3/4 cup of cream, egg and vanilla extract together in a small bowl and then drizzle over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir until it just starts to form a cohesive mass. Sprinkle the strawberries over the dough and gently fold them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Lightly flour a clean surface and pat the dough into a large rectangle about 1-inch thick.  Don’t overwork your dough. Using a two-inch biscuit-cutter (or see note above), cut 10 dough rounds, gently reforming the scraps until you get ten scones total from the dough.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk + cream to make your egg wash. Lightly brush the scones with the egg wash and heavily sprinkle with the orange sugar. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment (or a silpat) and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
5. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F and place a rack in the top third of the oven. Make sure the scones are at least two inches from one another and put on the top rack in the oven for 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once midway through. Let them cool on the sheet, in a draft-free area, for about 15 minutes.
6. For the Strawberries: Add the remaining 2 cups of halved strawberries to a medium bowl. Add the sugar and fresh orange juice stirring to mix. Periodically stir so that all of the fruit is covered in juice. They’re ready when they are glossy and releasing their juices.
7. For the Whipped Cream: In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the remaining 2 cups of whipping cream, sugar + orange blossom water and beat on high until soft peaks form.
8. Using a sharp knife cut the strawberry scones in half. Top 1/2 with a large dollop of whipping cream, some strawberries and the other half of the scone. Enjoy!
9. Thank you for making this recipe! Please tag me @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful strawberry scones!! xox

#VirtualMidsummerPotluck4Peace

An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Spiced Green Beans with Olive Oil and Tomato

Brewing Happiness: Healthy Southern Baked Beans

Cloudy Kitchen: Earl Grey blueberry pie

Cook Til Delicious: Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles

Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan

DisplacedHousewife: Strawberry Scone-Cakes With Fresh Orange Blossom Whipped Cream

Donuts, dresses and dirt: Tahini Pavlovas

Floating Kitchen: Blistered Green Beans with Apricots and Chive Blossoms

Harvest and Honey: Chasing Summer (drink)

Tasty Seasons: Grilled Mojito Chicken 

Tending the Table: Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts, Parsley and Currants

TermiNatetor Kitchen: Strawberry Shortcakes with Gluten-Free Yogurt Biscuits & Mint Whipped Cream

The Little Epicurean: Halo-Halo (Filipino Shave Ice Dessert)

This Mess Is Ours: Simple Tomato & Avocado Salad

Twigg studios: roasted beet leek and feta quiche

Vermilion Roots: Tofu Salad with Spiced Peanut Sauce

Wood and Spoon: Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake

On My Mind

• Not a lot on my mind except for how much I love free time. While you’re lounging read this. I also love David Sedaris.
• By the time you read this I might still be in my pajamas, in the same adirondack chair, hot as hell, with the latte replaced with wine, the egg replaced with hummus + Mary’s Gone Crackers (Original flavor…are you guys eating these? OBSESSED). I hope you’re able to extract some of the crazy out of your days and breath. Sending lots of love!

–Rebecca xoxo

Strawberry Scones With Fresh Whipped Orange Blossom Cream

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Author: Rebecca Firth

Ingredients

• For the Orange Sugar:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange zest
• For the Scones:
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 tablespoons 4 ounces unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces, cold
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream cold
• 1 large egg cold
• 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup strawberries rinsed, hulled + small dice
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• For the Strawberries:
• 2 cups strawberries rinsed, hulled + halved
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• Juice of ½ an orange
• For the Whipped Orange Blossom Cream:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water

Instructions

• To Make The Orange Sugar: Add the orange zest and sugar to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until they’re well blended, but you still see bright bits of zest. Set aside.
• In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the cake flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Cut the chilled butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, two forks or your hands. Stop when the butter is the size of large peas.
• Mix the 3/4 cup of cream, egg and vanilla extract together in a small bowl and then drizzle over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir until it just starts to form a cohesive mass. Sprinkle the strawberries over the dough and gently fold them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Lightly flour a clean surface and pat the dough into a large rectangle about 1-inch thick. Don’t overwork your dough. Using a two-inch biscuit-cutter (or see note above), cut 10 dough rounds, gently reforming the scraps until you get ten scones total from the dough.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk + cream to make your egg wash. Lightly brush the scones with the egg wash and heavily sprinkle with the orange sugar. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment (or a silpat) and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat your oven to 400 degrees F and place a rack in the top third of the oven. Make sure the scones are at least two inches from one another and put on the top rack in the oven for 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once midway through. Let them cool on the sheet, in a draft-free area, for about 15 minutes.
• For the Strawberries: Add the remaining 2 cups of halved strawberries to a medium bowl. Add the sugar and fresh orange juice stirring to mix. Periodically stir so that all of the fruit is covered in juice. They're ready when they are glossy and releasing their juices.
• For the Whipped Cream: In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the remaining 2 cups of whipping cream, sugar + orange blossom water and beat on high until soft peaks form.
• Using a sharp knife cut the strawberry scones in half. Top 1/2 with a large dollop of whipping cream, some strawberries and the other half of the scone. Enjoy!

Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo