Lemon scones are cooling on a wire rack and served on small brown plates.

Cold and dreary winter mornings call for something warm, comforting, and maybe just a little bit indulgent. These lemon scones with lemon glaze do just that. They’re a perfect combination of buttery richness and citrusy flavor. The flaky texture and sweet lemon glaze make any cold morning feel a little bit warmer and brighter.

What is the secret to making good scones?

The answer is: grated frozen butter.

If there’s one thing I have learned about making scones, it’s that you need to use grated frozen butter. It’s the secret to light and flaky scones. The cold butter doesn’t melt until it’s in the oven, and then it releases steam while baking. The steam creates tiny pockets of air while baking, which makes the scones light and fluffy.

Avoid the temptation to overwork the dough

The cold butter also ensures that when incorporated into the flour mixture, it will blend quickly, and you’ll have a dough that resembles the size of small peas or coarse crumbs. Using room temperature butter will make it difficult to combine the dough without overworking it, causing the dough to become tough and your scones too dense.

Always keep some butter in the freezer

I always keep a few sticks of frozen butter in the freezer, so when I feel like making scones, half the work is done.

Using a box grater (you could use a food processor, too), I grate the butter, put it in a freezer bag, and freeze it again. Having it already grated and in the freezer makes it so much easier to throw the rest of the ingredients together.

The equipment you’ll need for making lemon scones with lemon glaze

Box grater
Microplane grater (for the lemon zest)
Handheld juicer (for the fresh lemon juice)
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Bench scraper or pastry cutter
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Wire rack

The ingredients

All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Unsalted butter
Heavy cream or buttermilk
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Lemons (we like to use Meyer lemons, which are juicier and have more lemon flavor, but regular lemons work well too)
Turbinado sugar for topping scones (optional)
Powdered sugar (for the icing)

Directions for making lemon scones recipe

Freeze 1/2 stick of butter. Using a food processor or box grater, grate the butter. Place grated butter in a freezer bag and return to the freezer until just before needed.
Preheat oven to 400º
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Briefly blend in the frozen butter using an electric mixer set at the lowest speed and fitted with the paddle.
Combine the egg, heavy cream, and lemon juice in a separate bowl and beat lightly. Add the cold ingredients to the butter and flour mixture and blend until combined.
Remove the dough to a well-floured surface. Flour your hands and shape the dough into an 8″ disc. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
With a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into quarters. Then cut each quarter in half to make 8 scones.
Place the triangles on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the tops with heavy cream. Sprinkle with Turbinado 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. Enjoy!