Buttery Lemon and Blueberry Scones with a Simple Lemon Glaze
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch or Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: English
Ingredients
Scale
For the scones:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) frozen butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
- Turbinado sugar for topping the scones (optional)
For the lemon glaze:
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
For the scones:
- Freeze 1 stick of butter. Using a box grater, grate the butter (you can use a food processor if you prefer. Place grated butter in a freezer bag or bowl and return to the freezer until just before needed.
- Preheat oven to 400º
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the frozen butter using your hands, or pastry blender. Add the lemon zest and mix again.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the egg, heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat lightly. Add the wet ingredients to the butter and flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, mix until combined. If the dough feels dry and doesn’t stick together, add a little more heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together. Add the blueberries and gently fold them into the dough.
- Remove the scone dough to a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands and shape the dough into an 8″ disc. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
- With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into quarters. Then cut each quarter in half to make 8 scone wedges. Return them to the refrigerator or freezer to chill the dough again. This will help keep them from spreading when they bake.
- Place the triangles on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the tops with heavy cream. Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar, pop them in the oven, and bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the scones from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
- Once cooled slightly, drizzle a little glaze, if using, over the top of each scone.
- For leftover scones, put them in an airtight container and store them on the counter for a couple of days. For longer storage, wrap them in plastic wrap, put them in a freezer bag, and then in the freezer.
For the lemon glaze:
- Mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until combined. If you like a thicker glaze, add a little more powdered sugar.