Lemon
Poppy Seed Scones
You’ve
tried lemon poppy seed bread, muffins, and pound cake—now try
lemon poppy seed scones. Ample poppy seeds give these light, flaky scones
a bit of crunch. The lemon cream cheese frosting in this recipe tops
the scones off just right.
Like all scones,
these are best if eaten warm from the oven with plenty of thick frosting
piled on top.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose
flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons poppy
seeds
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
6 tablespoons butter,
ice cold
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
milk as required
Directions
Preheat the oven
to 400 degrees.
12 to 14 minutes
1. Measure the flour,
baking powder, salt, sugar, poppy seeds, and zest into a medium bowl.
Stir to disperse ingredients.
Baker’s
Note: One-half tablespoon zest is about what you
will get from a medium or small lemon. Do not scrape down into the
white pithy part of the peel is bitter.
2. Using a pastry
blender, cut the chunks of butter into the dry ingredients until the
mixture looks granular with butter pieces the size of wheat kernels.
Baker’s Note: The trick to flaky scones is to keep the butter
solid, not let the dough get warm enough that the butter melts. It’s
the solid little pockets of butter that melt in the oven, bursting with
steam, and create flaky, buttery pockets. Start with the coldest butter,
work quickly, and handle the dough as little as possible.
3. Add the whisked
eggs and cream and stir with a fork until the mixture starts to come
together. Place the dough on the counter and knead with your hands only
until the dough comes together.
Baker’s
Note: Working the dough develops the gluten and
makes the scone tough and chewy instead of tender and flaky.
4. Pat or roll the
dough to a thickness of almost 3/4 inch. Use a sharp knife or cookie
cutter to cut into desired shapes. Place the scones on a greased baking
sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes of until the tops begin to brown. Immediately
remove them from the sheet to cool on wire racks.
Baker’s
Note: Do not pat the cut edges. The scone will rise
in layers if the edges are not molded.
5. In a small bowl
with an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, lemon juice, and powdered
sugar until smooth. Frost the warm scones and serve immediately.
Baker’s
Note: We made the frosting fairly thick so that
we could pile it on the scones. If you prefer a thinner layer, thin
the frosting to where it is just a bit runny. Drizzle it over the
scones letting it drip down the sides.
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