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Scones:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large
bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut
the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry
blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Whisk
together the egg, cream and vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture,
mixing just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and
knead
dough gently four or five times and then pat or roll the dough into a circle that is
about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. With a 3
inch (7 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place the scones on the
baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1
tablespoon cream and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.
Bake
for about 15 - 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a
scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack.
Filling: Wash and
slice the strawberries. Place about one third of the strawberries in a
large bowl and crush them with a potato masher or fork. Add the remaining sliced
strawberries, along with the sugar.
(The amount of sugar used will depend on how sweet the berries are.) Set
aside to macerate at room temperature for
about 30 to 60 minutes.
For whipped cream: In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream,
vanilla extract, and sugar and
stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at
least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
The whipped cream will hold for several hours in the refrigerator.
To serve:
Cut the
scones in half and place the bottom
half of the scone (soft side up) on a dessert plate. Top with some of the
strawberries. Place the top half of the scone on the strawberries. Top with whipped cream
and a few more strawberries. If there is any juice from the
strawberries, drizzle a little over the top of the scone. Serve
immediately.
Serves
about 8 people.
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