Lemon Poppyseed Scones

I think sometimes people get the wrong idea about scones. Very frequently they are flat, dry, and dense, crumbly and leaving you wishing they were something different. I’ve been making scones like this for years with a few tricks to make sure that your scones bake up tall with buttery, flakey layers and are the perfect breakfast treat. I love a citrusy treat, and these lemon poppyseed scones are bursting with that lemon flavor. The poppyseeds are a wonderful addition for a twist on classic basic scone, and you can say goodbye to the dry scones you’ve had in the past. Serve these with a cup of tea or coffee for breakfast. Personally, I want to enjoy a scone on a rainy day with a cup of tea and honey curled up on the couch with a good book. I’m convinced a good book makes a baked good taste better, but I’ve always loved to read!

Ingredients for Lemon Poppyseed Scones

• Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is what we are using!
• Baking powder and baking soda: It seems like a lot of baking powder, but trust me, you need it to make sure your scones are nice and tall.
• Butter: your butter needs to be very cold. I keep mine in the freezer for scone recipes!
• Sugars: The scones themselves use granulated sugar, but I like to top the scones with turbinado sugar for a sweet crunch. It’s optional, but highly recommended! Finally, you’ll need powdered sugar for the glaze.
• Lemon: To make sure these scones are really full of lemon flavor, we are using both lemon zest and lemon juice in them. I also use some lemon juice in the glaze. I’m telling you, the lemon flavor is bright and fresh!
• Salt: Always!
• Poppyseeds: The perfect addition to this scone recipe.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is thicker than milk, and the tanginess is really wonderful paired with the lemon flavor. Heavy cream will also work, but I prefer the taste of buttermilk.
• Egg: Not every scone recipe will use an egg, but I like adding one for the richness and moisture it gives the dough.
• Extracts: We are using vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts. All my baked goods use both vanilla and almond extracts, but lemon extract here is another way to make the lemon flavor come through.
• Heavy cream: We only need a little heavy cream; we are brushing it on the tops of the scones to give them a shiny top and give some extra moisture to the dough.

Tips for Perfect Scones

• Freeze your butter! Butter is tricky to incorporate into scones because it needs to be cold but also broken into small enough pieces to be incorporated, which adds warmth, especially when you use your hands. I keep mine frozen and grate it with a box grater. The butter stays cold and is in small enough pieces for the scones!
• Freeze your scones! You can sense a theme here, keep everything cold! After you’re done making and cutting the scones, freeze them for at least 45 minutes before baking. This will make sure the scones don’t spread and instead bake up nice and tall.
• Cut them straight down! Don’t cut them with a sawing motion, that seals the layers of flour and butter together instead of allowing them to rise up. I like using a bench scraper for this job.
• Don’t overmix! I think we read this in every baked good recipe, but it’s especially important here to ensure that the scones aren’t tough.

How to Make Lemon Poppyseed Scones

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Take your butter out of the freezer and grate it with a box grater. Add the butter to the bowl and mix to combine. Place the bowl in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a liquid measuring cup, place the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine, then take the other bowl out of the freezer. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. I like to turn the dough onto a floured surface to finish mixing with my hands, folding the dough over itself into layers until it’s combined and formed into a rectangle.
• Using a bench scraper, cut the scones straight down into triangles. Place onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Be careful not to crowd the pan, using two pans if needed. Place the pan or pans in the freezer for at least 45 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Take the scones out of the freezer and brush the tops with heavy cream, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. When they’re cool, make the lemon glaze and drizzle over the tops!
• Scones are best enjoyed the same day but can be enjoyed the next day as well. If you’re planning to serve them the next day, wait to add the glaze until ready to serve.