Lemon Scones
I’m quickly becoming a “scones” convert! I love them–especially if they’re on the sweeter side with icing dripping down the sides. Ha! These scones include Candied Lemon Peel, lemon juice and grated lemon peel sprinkled over top of the icing for that delicious lemony flavor I really enjoy.
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I’m not one for traditional scones that are dense, on the drier side and have to be served with jam or preserves in order to be edible. Those “scones” are similar to America’s biscuits. Great for sausage gravy poured over top but doesn’t really cure my sweet tooth. The first time I made “scones” as a teenager, I was expecting more of a sweet bread. I didn’t realize then that you needed to serve the scones with jelly. I threw the whole batch out and never had another one until last year! A friend brought some scones for a “breakfast for dinner” night and I loved hers.
I made these Lemon Scones along with Orange Scones and Fruitcake Scones for the ushers and greeters serving as our Church Hostess Committee back in early November. The Lemon Scones disappeared first! Truly, if you enjoy lemon anything, you will find these scones totally satisfying and even filling! They puff up huge while baking and have an almost bread-like texture rather than being tough and dry.
Paradise Fruit sent a lot of assorted candied fruits my way back the end of September, so I’ve been busy baking all kinds of cookies, scones, donuts and cinnamon rolls with all those delicious fruits. I’ve used the Candied Lemon Peel in muffins before and they were fantastic in that, so I thought I’d give it a try with scones. So glad I did!
Lemon Scones are terrific for a holiday, weekend or company breakfast. I made these a day in advance and they were still delicious the next day. Granted, serving them the same day is preferred, but I had samples of the Orange Scones and the Fruitcake Scones a few days later and they were still so very tasty. Enjoy.
Prepare to drool over these scrumptious and lemony, Lemon Scones. 🙂
The scones puff up quite large while baking.
I spooned the icing over top trying to get really good coverage, rather than simply drizzling or piping the icing over top.
Lemon Scones will cure every sweet tooth craving!
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the scones.
Place unbleached all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Stir or whisk ingredients to combine.
Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender.
Keep cutting in the butter until coarse crumbs form.
Add candied lemon peel.
Stir again to combine; set aside.
Measure out buttermilk or soured milk. Add vanilla extract.
Add lemon juice.
Stir ingredients to combine.
Combine liquid ingredients with dry ingredients.
Stir to combine.
Place scone dough on a floured bread board. Sprinkle generously with flour. Measure out about 2/3 cup additional flour to work into the dough and place it to the side of the dough. (Use only as much as needed so the dough is not so sticky).
Spread your fingers apart and begin working the flour into the dough. Add more flour and keep working the dough with your fingers. Then begin pulling the dough toward you to form a half circle adding flour as necessary until the dough is not so sticky. This will take about 15-20 seconds.
Form a seven-inch round about two-inches deep.
Cut the dough into eighths.
Place the scone dough on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet pans. Give the scones plenty of room to expand and puff out while baking.
Combine egg and half-and-half.
Whisk to combine.
Use a pastry brush and generously spread the egg wash mixture over the top and sides of each scone.
Bake at 400 degrees approximately 20 minutes or until scones test done. My scones took 23 minutes to bake completely.
Remove scones to wire cooling racks and allow to cool 10 minutes before adding icing.
I used these ingredients for the icing.
Grate lemon zest to sprinkle over top of the icing; set aside.
Measure powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Add half and half.
Add lemon juice.
Whisk ingredients to combine.
Pour icing over top of scones.
Sprinkle immediately with freshly grated lemon peel.
Lemon Scones are perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch.
The lemony flavors of these scones really pop in flavor.
We loved the taste and texture of these scones. They don’t have the typical “tough” or “dense” texture of most traditional scones. These have a more “bread-like” texture expanding a lot while baking.
I also make my scones a lot sweeter than traditional scones. We love them!
Here’s the recipe.
LEMON SCONES
(My own concoction)
Lemon Scones
Equipment
- 1 18×26" cookie sheet pan
- parchment paper
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 grater or orange zester
- 1 pastry blender
Ingredients
SCONES:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter cold (1 stick)
- 8 oz. container Paradise candied lemon peel
- 1 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note below)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp. half and half
- 2/3 cup unbleached flour to roll out and knead the scones
ICING:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup half-and-half or as needed
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest for topping, if desired
Instructions
SCONES:
- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, place flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Stir or whisk well to combine ingredients.
- Add butter and cut into mixture with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
- Add candied lemon peel and stir again to combine.
- Measure out buttermilk in a small measuring cup.
- Add vanilla extract and lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture adding only enough to make a soft dough.
- Measure out about two thirds cup of flour.
- Sprinkle about a quarter cup on the bread board.
- Transfer dough to the floured bread board; sprinkle very generously with some of the flour; work the flour into the dough with your fingers.
- Turn dough over about half way and sprinkle with more flour.Turn dough over about half way and sprinkle with more flour.
- Continue this pattern and work the flour into the dough with your fingers.
- This will take approximately 15-20 seconds to get most of the flour worked into the dough.
- Pat dough into a 7-inch round about two inches deep.
- Cut the dough into eighths.
- Transfer the scones onto the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Combine egg and cream in a small bowl with a whisk.
- Brush each scone with egg/cream mixture.
- Bake at 400º for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove scones to wire racks and cool approximately 10 minutes before adding glaze.
- Add glaze and serve.
ICING:
- In a large sized mixing bowl, whisk half-and-half, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Set scones on wire cooling rack.
- Pour icing over top of each scone.
- Sprinkle immediately with grated lemon zest after glazing each scone.
- Let glaze set for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve.
Notes
Candied Lemon Peel provided courtesy of Paradise Fruit.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
Lemon Scones are heavenly! They were the first to go when I brought scones for breakfast for our Sunday morning Hostess committee (ushers).
These mammoth-sized scones are marvelous for a weekend or company breakfast.
Lemon scones are great for any kind of company breakfast or brunch buffet.
These lovely scones will make a “scone lover” out of you too!
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