STRAWBERRY SCONES

One summer morning when my counter was overflowing with fresh strawberries, I created this light strawberry scone recipe highlighting flavors of fresh lemon, almond extract, and Greek yogurt. You can freeze the dough and bake just a couple each morning for yourself or make them into mini versions for a crowd.

1 large egg

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ cup milk

⅛ teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest from 1 lemon

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup diced fresh strawberries

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Makes 8 large scones or 16 mini scones

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the egg, yogurt, milk, almond extract, vanilla, and lemon zest until blended.

3. In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse briefly to blend. Add the butter pieces to the bowl with the flour mixture, and pulse several times to cut the butter into the flour until the largest butter pieces are the size of small peas. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

4. Add the strawberries to the flour mixture, and toss to coat. Add the egg mixture, and gently fold together the ingredients with a fork or spatula until a sticky dough forms. Knead just a few times to ensure that the flour mixture is incorporated and the dough is cohesive.

5. Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface, and pat it into a disc about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. The dough will be sticky—work more flour into the dough with your hands if needed until it’s manageable. Slice the disc into 8 wedges (for smaller scones, slice each of those wedges in half).

6. Place the shaped scones on the prepared baking sheet, brush them with melted butter, and then sprinkle them with sugar. Bake the scones until they are lightly browned on top, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool a few minutes before serving. Serve within a couple hours of baking (scones will easily become soggy because of the fresh fruit).

MAKE IT AHEAD: To freeze, transfer the unbaked shaped scones to a baking sheet, and place the pan in the freezer to chill the scones until firm, about 30 to 60 minutes. Wrap the scones individually, and store them in a freezer-safe bag until you are ready to bake them. Bake the scones as indicated above, adding a few minutes to the baking time until the crust is golden and crisp.