It will probably come as no surprise that I am obsessed with all things Great British Bake Off. For me, it is the perfect relaxing show to watch after a busy work week. One of my co-workers and I even used to talk about the show during quick breaks on crazy call nights to momentarily de-stress before another onslaught of pages came through.
Nadiya Hussain has always been one of my all time favorite contestants, so I was so excited when her cooking shows popped up on Netflix this last year. During one episode of Nadiya Bakes, she makes a blueberry scone pizza that left me wondering why I wouldn’t always make scones in pizza form from there on out. It is such a simple but fun concept. This strawberries & cream version is my take on her brilliant idea.
When making scones, pie crusts, or biscuits, I often freeze the butter and grate it into the dry ingredients for easier incorporation. If I don’t have as much time to let the butter freeze, I’ll cut it into small chunks with a sharp knife while the butter is still very cold. Either method will do the trick for light and flakey layers.
- For the scones:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 8 tablespoons (1 cup) cold butter, and cut into small cubes (you can also freeze butter and grate using a cheese grater)
- ½ cup buttermilk (can also use whole milk or heavy cream)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested
- For the toppings:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened and at room temperature
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened and at room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons strawberry jam
- Chopped or sliced strawberries
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9x13 in baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick silicone baking mat.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add butter and mix using a pastry cutter or your fingers mix work in the butter until mixture looks almost like breadcrumbs but there are still some visible chunks of butter (no larger than pea-sized).
- Whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour mixture over dry ingredients. Stir until a dough forms. You may need to use your hands to gently bring the dough together. Transfer dough to prepared pan, using a rolling pin or your hands to form it into a large circle about 1 to 1½ inches thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 12 even slices. Cut all the way through, but do not separate slices.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until scones look cooked through and edges are beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While scones are cooling, prepare the toppings. In a medium bowl, beat cream until thickened to soft peaks. Add softened butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add jam in dollops to top of mixture, then gently stir to swirl jam through.
- Once scones are completely cooled, top with cream mixture. Sprinkle with strawberries on top and serve.
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