Strawberry Scones

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As a nod to the start of fall and colder weather, I made scones this weekend. I recently enjoyed scones on a summer trip to Colorado, and first encountered fresh English scones when I visited the UK a couple of years ago. Even though, our part of the country is still experiencing warm weather, this recipe lovingly reminded me of colder climates in hopes that fall's cold weather will visit us soon.

One of my favorite bloggers, Cupcakes and Cashmere, inspired me to follow this recipe from Tartine via Breadtastic. You won't be disappointed as the smells of strawberries and butter indulge your senses while you wait for these goodies to bake. The final product is a sweet yet tart, substantial breakfast/brunch option perfect for your China and fancy napkins. Hope you enjoy!

Homemade Fruit Strips

Thank you for visiting. I now have a new home at www.countrypeony.com. I hope you will find me there.

Growing up my mother always tried to come up with healthy and creative snacks for myself and my four siblings. One of my favorite treats as a child was homemade fruit strips. My husband and I received a dehydrator for our wedding, and I recently learned how easy the fruit strips are to make. I enjoy keeping a stash of these around when last minute company arrives, or for a quick on-the-go snack.

For this recipe I used strawberries, but you can experiment with any fruit that is in season. You will need: 2.5 quarts of cut strawberries, dehydrator with a vegetable/fruit tray, blender, cooking spray, and parchment paper.

Prepare your strawberries for the blender, then puree them to a consistency that you prefer. Once you have reached your desired consistency, pour the fruit puree on to the tray in the dehydrator, and evenly spread the puree out. *I would recommend spraying cooking spray on to the tray first, so that the fruit puree doesn't stick. Close the lid to the dehydrator and cook at 135 degrees Farenheit for 8 hours. *Make sure that the dehydrator is in a well ventilated area. From here, you will peel the dehydrated fruit puree off, and cut the dried puree into strips. Then place the strips in between parchment paper and store in a container with a sealed lid. Enjoy!