Strawberry scones don’t need jam to shine
Scones and strawberry jam is such a classic pairing that, naturally, it’s rife with debate.
First, there’s the pronunciation of scone. Does it rhyme with “phone” (as in the United States, Ireland and some parts of England) or with “gone” (as said by many Britons, including the queen)?
Then, there’s the issue of jam placement. Do you smear it directly on the split pastry before dolloping it with clotted cream (called the Cornish method), or are you team cream-first, jam-second (the go-to in Devon)?
Having consumed the majority of scones in New York City, I draw out the
“o” (as in “hello, I made scones”). And, in terms of strawberry jam, I’ve taken to mixing dried strawberries directly into the dough, which bake up into jammy pockets in the tender crumb. This evenly distributes the berries, giving you bits of intense fruit all the way through — and doesn’t preclude you from adding more jam after baking.
But perhaps the biggest way my scone recipe deviates from more traditional versions is that, instead of shaping the dough into individual wedges, I pat it into a round loaf, then score it, cutting halfway through.
This helps keep the interior particularly moist and fluffy, while the crust bakes up golden and craggy, with edges that crunch. And it’s fun to pull apart the warm pieces with your hands for serving. (For more elegant presentations, a serrated knife also works.)
One thing to note: Because dried strawberries can be hard to find, you might be tempted to use fresh or frozen berries here. Resist this urge.
Fresh and frozen berries contain large amounts of moisture, which will
steam during baking and can make the surrounding crumb soggy. It’s better to mix in other dried fruit. Dates, which have a similar sticky denseness, work especially well.
Like all scones, these are best served within a few hours of baking. But they also freeze well and can be reheated just before serving.
While testing this recipe, I stored leftovers of different versions in the freezer and was grateful every morning when I could just pop one in the toaster oven, then eat it hot, topped with softened butter.