Eat to the Beat Volume II: Strawberry Anise Scones

"Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real,

and nothing to get hung about,

Strawberry Fields forever."

After great success with her debut blogging event this, Eat to the Beat, Elly at Elly Says Opa! has decided to make this creative event a seasonal one. Elly's event challenges cooks and bakers alike to come up with food and music pairings that are inspired by one another. For this round, I have chosen Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles.

I have said before that one of my favorite things about living in the city is the abundance of Farmer's Markets and the great quality(and cheap) produce found there. Among other things, this past weekend I picked up a huge carton of simply delicious strawberries. It was my good berry fortune that dictated my decision for this installment of Eat to the Beat. Coincidentally, I also spent some time this weekend in Central Park and walked through Strawberry Fields, an area of the park which is dedicated to John Lennon. Maybe my choice was actually fated? ;)

Inspired by Cooking Light's recipe for Strawberry Yogurt Scones, I got to work on my Beatles inspired scone. I noticed that a few of the recipe reviewers had complained that the scones were a little dry. To combat this, I used more yogurt than the recipe called for. Additionally, I substituted anise extract for orange zest; giving these scones somewhat of an Italian flare. The anise is subtle, but I really enjoyed it paired the strawberry.

I liked these scones. The strawberries stayed very succulent and juicy(be careful when mixing and kneading) and as I said, the anise added nice dimension. Next time I make these(and I will make these again), I think I would add more strawberries than the recipe calls for. I like a lot of chunks and while these had nice flavor, I would have liked more strawberry pieces.

Thanks Elly for hosting this great event. For more details about entering, click here. Also be sure to check out all the innovative entries from this round of Eat to the Beat at Elly says Opa!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup diced strawberries
1 6 oz. container cup strawberry yogurt

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon anise extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
sugar(for sprinkling)

Directions:Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Combine strawberries, yogurt, butter, anise, and egg white; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment. Cut into 12 wedges, cutting into but not through dough; sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2002