Strawberry Shortcake Scones

I've been loving experimenting with the base recipe from my favorite orange cranberry scones. Today, I whipped up a strawberry shortcake variety, and it is awesome! Here is the adjusted recipe:

Strawberry Shortcake Scones:

Scones:

• 4 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup room temperature butter, cubed
  
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste.)
  
• 1/3 cup strawberry juice*
  
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped strawberries

*I used some of the juice from my leftover fruit salsa and fresh strawberries. Next time, I will either mix the chopped strawberries with a little sugar, let them sit, strain off the liquid and use the strawberries in the scones. I think you could also use frozen strawberries in syrup and strain to separate the liquid and the fruit.

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and. Cube the butter and mix in to the mixture until the butter is pea sized. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, strawberry juice and milk together. Stir into the flour mixture until the dough is moist, do not over mix. Knead in the strawberries. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a couple of times. Divide dough into two equal balls. Pat each ball into an 8 inch circle. (Be careful to make sure it is not too thick in the center.) Place each ball onto a parchment paper lined or greased cookie sheet. Score each circle with a knife into 6 wedges. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until done and lightly golden. Allow the scones to cool. (I sanded the scones in the picture with vanilla sugar because they were just TOO pretty to frost!) We ate these warm, and they were DELICIOUS. I think you could also serve them with whipped cream as a dessert. They would be delicious.

For more recipes, see Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table, LifeasMom, Joy of Desserts, Grocery Cart Challenge.