Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
Lemon poppy seed scones are tender, flaky, and full of bright fresh lemon flavor. Finished with a crisp sugar top and simple lemon glaze, they feel bakery-worthy but come together easily at home.
Servings: 8 scones
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter frozen
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
For the glaze
- ½ cup sifted powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have a parchment-lined baking sheet ready and set it aside.
- Prepare the sugar: In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and granulated sugar. Work the two together until the mixture resembles wet sand, 1 minute.2 tbsp lemon zest, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Mix the dry ingredients: Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds, and mix together. Grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture. Press pieces of butter between thumb and forefinger until the butter is worked into the flour with irregularly-sized pieces no bigger than a pea.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 ½ tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, egg, and lemon juice. Beat until the egg is smooth, then add it to the dry ingredients. Using a fork, mix the scones together to form a wet and shaggy dough.½ cup sour cream, 1 large egg, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)
- Form the dough: Pour the shaggy dough onto a well-floured surface and, with well-floured hands, knead it a few times until it comes together as a cohesive dough, adding more flour to the counter as needed. Fold the dough onto itself a couple of times to create layers of butter in the dough. Pat the dough into a 6-inch round disk. Place in freezer for 20 minutes to allow butter to re-harden and the gluten to relax.
- Cut: Remove from freezer and cut the disk into 8 equal triangles, and place each scone on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.¼ cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
- Bake: Place the scones in the preheated 400℉ oven and bake until they are golden on top, 18-22 minutes. Once baked, remove the scones from the oven and cool.
- Glaze: In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Once the scones are cooled, drizzle the tops with the glaze and serve.½ cup sifted powdered sugar, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Nutrition
Serving: 1scone | Calories: 330kcal