4th of July Scones

Happy Independence day! In honor of America's birthday, I decided to make a red, white and blue treat. I give you..."strawberry-blueberry-coconut scones." Yes, the scones are good (very good), yes they are easy and yes they make the entire house smell light and sweet in all of their sugary buttery greatness. I couldn't take the prerequisite photos without stealing a nibble first.

While I made this particular batch in late afternoon, I'll be sure to make the next batch early in the morning and enjoy them with a piping hot cup of tea. Heaven.

To make 4th of July scones (on either Independence day or ANY day), you need:

-2 cups all purpose flour
-1 Tbsp baking powder
-3 Tbsp white sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-5 Tbsp cold butter
-1/3 cup fresh blueberries
-1/3 cup fresh, ripe strawberries (sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)
-1/2 cup shredded coconut
-1 cup milk or cream (the recipe I was following called for cream but I didn't have any on hand. Milk was absolutely fine).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir in butter. I started by using a rubber spatula but then rolled up my sleeves and plunged my hands in. I was able to mix the dry ingredients with the cold butter a lot faster this way). Add blueberries, strawberries and shredded coconut. Last, pour in the milk or cream slowly while continuing to mix the batter. The batter should be sticky and doughy (not runny).

On a greased baking sheet, separate the dough into 8-10 "triangular-shaped" piles. (Scones are traditionally triangular in shape, but if you feel like making circles or hearts or squares, go for it. Mine were only triangle-esque). Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of sugar and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven, place in mouth, and feel your taste buds break into their happy dance.