Description
Make soft, fluffy lemon scones from scratch. This recipe yields tender scones with a bright, zesty flavor, topped with a simple, tangy lemon glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons for topping
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- For the Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar
- For the Glaze: 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Stir in the lemon zest.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the cold heavy cream, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and the beaten egg.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a fork until just combined. Do not overmix; the dough will be shaggy.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle.
- Cut the circle into 8 equal wedges, like a pizza. Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Brush the tops lightly with a little extra heavy cream or milk, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the scones cool, prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or lemon juice as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones. Let the glaze set before serving.
Notes
- For the best texture, make sure your butter and heavy cream are very cold before mixing.
- If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, substitute Meyer lemons for standard lemons.
- If you want lemon poppy seed scones, add 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds when mixing the dry ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 17 min
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 65