Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
Lemon Poppy Seed Scones! Tender, lemony scones are speckled with crunchy poppy seeds in this perfect tea time treat.
Servings: 18 scones
Equipment
- 1 Food processor optional
Ingredients
- 2½ cups flour plus extra for rolling out
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup buttermilk or ½ cup plain yogurt or ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt with ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds
- Optional: Sanding sugar for tops of scones
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking pan by lining with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add diced butter. Cover and pulse until the butter is chopped into the flour {the flour will resemble wet sand.}
- In a measuring cup with a pouring spout, whisk together buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, vanilla and poppy seeds.
- Open the feed spout on the lid of the food processor and slowly pour in the liquids while pulsing. The dough will begin to come together and eventually form a ball. Do not over pulse.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, pressing it together to form a uniform piece of dough. Quickly flatten with your hands and pat the dough into approximately an 8 inch square.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into nine equal pieces, then cut each square in half diagonally. (You can also punch these out using a biscuit cutter.) Place each scone on the prepared baking sheet and brush with a little buttermilk, then sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the scones are baked through and slightly golden.Remove from oven and let cool on a baking rack.
Notes
If you don't have a food processor, you can definitely still make these the old fashioned way using a pastry blender and incorporating the liquids by hand!
Variations
- Use orange or lime zest instead of lemon for a citrusy twist.
- Sprinkle the scones with powdered sugar or make a simple glaze for drizzling on top for extra sweetness.
- Add a surprising pop of flavor with a few tablespoons of chopped candied ginger in the dough!
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite cup for cup gluten-free flour blend in place of regular flour.