it's strawberry season y'all (freezing & baking how-to)

It’s strawberry season y’all!

And why go buy your own when you have sweet new neighbors that will bring you a large bowl that they picked at Marburger Orchards. LOL.

Here I am sharing how to quick freeze these babies in case you won’t be using them immediately.

AND if you do want to use ’em right away, I’ve got a recipe for you from Food n Wine for strawberry almond scones that are perfectly delicious!

FAST FREEZE Steps:

Here’s a sweet hint:

if you cut a plastic straw in half, you can use it to remove the stems right down the middle of each strawberry.

Before you know it, you will have finished this step in no time!

Just run the straw from the bottom up and you can see by the photos how the stem comes off in one piece.

Next, slice ’em, then single layer the slices on a baking sheet.

Place in freezer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove and place in freezer bags, label and return to freezer.

Now you have fresh – delicious- strawberries ready for smoothies or baking!

STRAWBERRY ALMOND SCONES

adapted from Food n Wine.

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour & whole wheat
1/4 c plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda & salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 T + 1 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
1 1/2 c sliced strawberries
2 T turbinado sugar (also called Sugar in the Raw)

Preheat the oven to 400° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flours with the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Stir in the 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk and carefully fold in the sliced strawberries.

Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 16 mounds on the prepared baking sheets.

Brush the scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the scones are golden and cooked through; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking.

Let the scones cool on a rack for 30 minutes.

For the glaze:

take a small bowl and whisk the following ingredients, cover & let stand at room temperature.

1/4 c. sliced almonds

1 c. confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 T buttermilk

1/2 t. pure almond extract

Pinch of salt

Drizzle the scones with the glaze, then top with the almonds, pressing to help them adhere.

Allow to set for 10 minutes, then serve. (Makes 16)

The scones are buttery, soft, and have the perfect amount of strawberries in each bite.

Perfect for breakfast, with your cuppa anything and you’ll even want seconds. Or just enjoy as an afternoon snack!