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lemon scones on a white plate
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5 from 2 votes

Lemon Scones Recipe

These easy glazed lemon scones are a simple and delicious dessert for breakfast, Easter brunch, bridal shower, or a ladies tea party.  Each scone is topped with a tangy glaze and a sprinkle of lemon zest for a casual yet elegant finish.  Both kids and adults will love them!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 334kcal

Ingredients
 

For the Scones

  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • cup caster sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • ½ cup unsalted butter chilled
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk

For the Glaze & Decoration

  • 1 ¼ cup icing sugar sifted
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

For Serving

  • Homemade lemon curd
  • Crème fraîche

Instructions

Making the Scones

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Lightly butter a ceramic scone pan or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Finely grate the zest of one lemon, setting aside 2 teaspoons for the decoration.
  • Pour the two flours into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest.
  • Cube the cold butter and add it to the flour mixture.  Rub the fat into the flour by pinching the cubes of butter and stirring it with the flour until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
  • Add the egg, lemon juice, and a couple tablespoons of milk, then mix by hand to bring the dough together.  Add more milk if needed to create a soft, slightly sticky dough.
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple times until the dough is smooth.  Shape into a disc about an inch thick and cut into eight wedges.  Place each wedge in the scone pan or on the prepared cookie sheet.
  • Brush some milk on top of each scone, then bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, until they are well risen and a light golden brown on top.
  • Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then allow them to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Decorating

  • While the scones are cooling, mix up the glaze.  Sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl and stir in enough juice to make a thick icing.
  • Once they have cooled completely, dip the top of each one into the glaze and sprinkle with zest.
  • Let the icing harden before serving, about 10 minutes.  Serve them with homemade lemon curd and crème fraîche.

Notes

  • Use a 50-50 blend of bread flour to all-purpose flour for a better rise and texture.  (You can substitute all-purpose for the bread flour if you're in a pinch.)
  • Make sure the butter is cold from the fridge.  Room-temperature butter will make a greasy dough that won't have a nice texture.
  • Handle the scone dough gently.  Overworking it will make them tough.
  • Freshly squeeze the lemon juice for the scones and icing; it tastes ten times better than the bottled kind.
  • Be careful not to overbake them, or they will be dry and extra crumbly.
  • Let the scones cool completely before pouring the icing on top.  Warm ones will soak up the glaze, which isn't what we want.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg