Lemon Scones
Crisp and golden on the outside, soft and moist inside, and filled with bright lemon flavor, these bakery-style lemon scones are finished with a crunchy lemon-sugar topping.
I love a good scone. And I am personally offended by bad ones. 🤪 And oh my goodness, there are a lot of bad ones out in the world. For years, I’ve tweaked and worked on this recipe — and it’s one I’m really proud of. I tend to be a “measure with my heart” kind of girl, but I wrote down every measurement and step for you. You’re welcome.
The extra step of freezing the dough before baking is key to getting that crisp exterior and soft, moist center. Don’t skip it!
Enjoy, friends. 🍋
Lemon Scones
Makes: 8 scones
Ingredients
For the scones
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lemon
10 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream, for brushing
For the lemon sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1–2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
Instructions
In a large bowl, zest the lemon over the sugar and work it together with your fingers. Then add and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the cubed cold butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces are about the size of very small peas.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, ½ cup heavy cream, and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and butter mixture. Stir gently with a fork until the dough begins to come together. Switch to your hands and gently press and fold the mixture just until a cohesive dough forms. Be careful not to overwork it.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a large circle or rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 triangles or squares.
Arrange the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. If the oven needs a little longer to preheat, leave the scones in the freezer until it is ready.
Make the lemon sugar by rubbing the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until fragrant and evenly combined.
Place the chilled scones a few inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining heavy cream, then sprinkle generously with lemon sugar.
Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven for long, reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake for another 8–10 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and baked through.
Check the scones after the first 10 minutes. If the bottoms are browning too quickly, place a second baking sheet underneath the first. If the tops are becoming darker than you prefer, loosely tent them with foil for the remainder of the bake.
Let the scones rest on the baking sheet for 1–2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Leaving them on the pan for too long can cause them to lose some of that lovely crisp exterior.
Tips for the Best Lemon Scones
Lemon Sugar. Working the lemon into the sugar for both the scone, and the crispy top, is worth that extra step. It brings out the oils in the lemon for brighter flavor.
Keep everything cold. Cold butter helps create flaky layers and prevents the scones from spreading.
Don’t overwork the dough. Mix and shape it as gently as possible for soft, tender scones.
Don’t skip the freezer. Chilling the shaped scones helps them hold their shape while creating a crisp exterior and moist center.
Move them to a cooling rack. This keeps steam from softening the bottoms as they cool.
