Lemon Poppyseed Scones

5 from 2 votes

These buttery, tender scones are made with fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, and crunchy poppyseeds. Topped with a simple lemon glaze!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Chilling time20

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: scones

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

For The Scones:

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppyseeds
1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter cold and cut into small cubes
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, plus more for brushing the tops
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

For The Icing:

½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon Juice

Instructions

Combine sugar and lemon zest. In a large bowl rub together the sugar and lemon zest with your fingertips. This will help release the oils of the lemons.
Add dry ingredients. Whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the poppyseeds.
Add butter. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers tips, until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal
Add wet ingredients. In a small bowl or measuring cup, Whisk together heavy cream, egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the heavy cream mixture. Stir lightly with a wooden spoon or spatula until dough comes together. Dough will be sticky and shaggy looking.
Knead dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and gently knead dough together a few times. I press down on the dough into about 1/2" thickness, then fold in half. I repeat this about 3-4 times. Do not overwork the dough, you just want to incorporate the flour and bring it together and knead a few times to help create lofty layer.
Shape scones. For best shape, I like to line an 8 inch cake pan with plastic wrap and then press dough into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Prep oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Shape scones. Once the oven is preheated, remove the pan from the fridge, and remove the scone dough from the pan. Turn the dough upside down onto a lightly flurry surface and peel away the plastic wrap and Cut into 8 equal wedges using a sharp knife. Transfer to a baking sheet spaced a few inches apart in two equal rows. Brush tops with a little extra heavy cream.
Bake the scones. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes then Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make lemon icing. Combine icing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Adjust consistency if needed. Drizzle cooled scones with icing. Decorate tops with a sprinkle of poppyseeds.

Video

Notes

Storing: Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Freezing: You can place the unbaked scones on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once they are solid you can place them into a zip-loc bag. When ready to bake, there is no need to thaw first before baking. Just add on a few minutes of bake time. To freeze baked scones, bake first then allow to cool completely before freezing. Freeze solid then you can wrap each individually or place into a zip-loc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Icing: If you do not prefer icing, you could always make an egg wash and brush on the scones before baking and sprinkle some sanding sugar on top.
Shape: I shape the dough into a round and cut into wedges. But you can also use a round cutter.
Gluten Free: Use a 1:1 gluten free flour (that contains xantham gum) and replace by weight not volume for best results. I have been using GF Jules which has no gritty texture! Also be sure to use a gluten free baking powder and gluten free vanilla extract.
Dairy Free: Use a dairy free cream, or use canned coconut cream. Swap the butter for a dairy free butter. I like to use Myokos but Earth Balance will also work.
Egg Free: You can try using my cream scone recipe which contains no eggs and add the lemon juice, zest, and poppyseeds to it!
Vegan: Try using my cream scone recipe but replace the butter with a vegan butter, and replace the heavy cream with coconut cream (or a dairy free whipping cream).
Lactose Free: You can use a lactose free butter (I use Green Valley) and a dairy free whipping cream.

Nutrition