My idea of the perfect scone is a tender, buttery pastry that's lightly sweetened and full of flavor. That's what these are. They are buttery and slightly crisp on the outside, soft and delicate on the inside, and filled with the warm, slightly earthy flavors of poppy seeds, lemon, cardamom, and vanilla.
These lightly sweetened buttermilk scones are infused with bright lemon, nutty poppy seeds, and the rich, warm flavors of vanilla and cardamom. Buttermilk gives them an extra tender texture while plenty of butter creates a gorgeous crispy, flaky exterior.
With just three tablespoons of sugar in the dough, they have that perfect lightly sweetened buttery flavor that leaves plenty of room for a generous drizzle of lemon icing without running the risk of sugar overload.
While I wanted these scones to have plenty of lemon and poppy seed flavor, I also wanted them to feel warm and cozy. Enter cardamom and vanilla, two flavors that complement lemon beautifully.
Cardamom is one of those spices that benefits from a light hand and just a half teaspoon in this dough is enough to add interest without competing with the buttery, lemony, poppy seed flavor.
The overall flavor profile of these scones is a little bit woodsy, and if I close my eyes, I can almost picture myself eating them in some magical, moss-covered forest.
This is a simple dough, easily prepared in the food processor or by hand, and one batch makes six generous scones. In about an hour, your house will smell of butter and vanilla, and these scones will be cooling on your counter. So, put the coffee on or start the kettle. Your day is about to get more delicious.
xo
Recipe creation, development, and writing by Rebecca Blackwell.
Recipe testing and photography by Anne Blackwell.
Ingredient notes
- Buttermilk is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with because it has an almost magical ability to create a soft and tender texture in everything from buttermilk coffee cake to buttermilk pancakes to buttermilk biscuits, and of course, scones. And not just these scones. These chocolate chip scones also benefit from the tenderizing properties of buttermilk. Buttermilk also adds flavor, and I am always in favor of any opportunity to add more flavor.
- Speaking of flavor, these scones are flavored with fresh lemon, poppy seeds, cardamom, and vanilla. Oh my, but this combo is gorgeous. Cardamom comes with it's own citrusy undertones but with softer, more floral notes than fresh lemon. Vanilla gives lemon a warm glow and softer edges, and poppy seeds contribute earthiness and a subtle crunch in every bite.
- Butter, baby! My only strong opinion about scones is that they should be buttery. Otherwise, what's the point? These live up to all my buttery expectations and bake up with a golden, crispy exterior and tender, flaky, buttery center.
- These are in the category of British Style scones, which generally (but not always) do not include eggs in the dough. The one egg in this recipe is for an egg wash, and it's optional. The addition of eggs to scone dough is a modern preference and in some recipes, I think it makes sense. But classic, British scones do not include eggs. They have a light, crumbly crust and soft interior that's delicate and not cakey. That's what I wanted in these scones, so no eggs in the dough. The egg wash works with the butter in the dough to promote browning through the Maillard reaction (translation: Flavor). But if you're cooking for someone with an egg allergy, these are perfectly delicious without it.
- Just 3 tablespoons of sugar in the dough gives these scones a subtle sweetness while leaving plenty of room for a generous drizzle of lemon glaze.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
The dough for these scones can be prepared in a food processor or by hand. If using a food processor, fit it with the dough blade. If you only have a chopping blade, that's ok. Just be extra careful to not over-process the dough. Tender, flaky scones require a gentle touch; handle the dough just enough to bring it together.
Crack the egg into a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon of tap water. Whisk with a fork and set aside.
Add the dry ingredients, poppy seeds, and lemon zest to the bowl of your food processor or a large mixing bowl. Pulse a few times to combine; or stir with a wire whisk to combine.
Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and add it to the flour mixture. If using a food processor, pulse until you don't see any pieces of butter larger than a pea. If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix the butter into the flour.
Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk and then pour it into the dough. Pulse or stir just until the mixture forms a loose, shaggy, slightly sticky dough.
Pro tip! If the dough is dry, crumbly, and doesn't hold together when you squeeze it, add a bit more buttermilk. Do not add more than a tablespoon at a time; add just enough to hold the dough together.
Dump the mixture out onto a clean work surface that's been dusted with a little bit of flour. Knead the dough 2 or 3 times just to bring it together. Remember to not overwork the dough!
Pat the dough into a circle that's approximately 8 inches in diameter.
Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the circle into 6 triangles.
Set the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and use a pastry brush or your fingers to coat the tops of the scones with the egg wash.
Bake the scones in a preheated 375°F oven until their tops are golden brown.
To make the icing, add the powdered sugar, salt, and lemon juice to a small bowl and stir with a wire whisk until all the sugar has dissolved into the juice.
Allow the scones to cool, then drizzle them with icing. Be generous.
Top tips!
- One of the tricks to making scones is to not overwork the dough. Tender, flaky scones require a light touch. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough even after mixing. Those pockets of butter will create light, flaky scones.
- Speaking of butter... keep it cold!
- The lemon icing makes them both sweeter and more lemony. But you could just as easily eat these un-iced with a dollop of clotted cream, lemon curd, or orange marmalade.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me.
Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
My idea of the perfect scone is a tender, buttery pastry, that's lightly sweetened and full of flavor. That’s what these are. They are slightly crispy on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, and filled with the flavors of butter, cardamom, lemon, and vanilla.
Ingredients
- For the egg wash: 1 egg + 1 teaspoon of water
For the scones:
- 1 ¾ cup (210 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (37 grams) granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt)
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons (18 grams) poppy seeds
- The zest from one large lemon (save the juice for the icing)
- 5 ounces (141 grams; 10 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (142 grams; 5 ounces) buttermilk, more if needed
For the lemon icing:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (56 grams) powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Crack the egg into a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon of tap water. Whisk with a fork and set aside.
- The dough for these scones can be prepared in a food processor or by hand. If using a food processor, fit it with the dough blade. If you only have a chopping blade, that’s ok. Just be careful to not over-process the dough.
- Add the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, poppy seeds, and the zest from 1 large lemon to the bowl of your food processor or into a large mixing bowl. Pulse a few times to combine; or stir with a wire whisk to combine.
- Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and add it to the flour mixture. The butter should be cold; use it straight from the fridge. If using a food processor, pulse until you don’t see any pieces of butter larger than a pea. If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix the butter into the flour until you don’t see any pieces of butter larger than a pea.
- Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk and then pour it into the dough. Pulse or stir just until the mixture forms a loose, shaggy, slightly sticky dough. If the dough is dry, crumbly, and doesn't hold together when you squeeze it, add a bit more buttermilk. Do not add more than a tablespoon at a time; add just enough to hold the dough together. Dump the mixture out onto a clean work surface that’s been dusted with a little bit of flour.
- Knead the dough 2 or 3 times just to bring it together (it's important to not overwork the dough), then pat it into a thick 8-inch circle.
- Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the circle into 6 triangles. Set the scones on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Use a pastry brush or your fingers to coat the tops of the scones with the egg wash.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 23 to 30 minutes, until the tops of the scones are a light golden brown. (Bake time will depend on how thick your scones are.)
- Remove the pan from the oven and use a spatula to place the scones on a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely.
- To make the icing: Add the powdered sugar, salt, and lemon juice to a small bowl and stir with a wire whisk until all the sugar has dissolved into the juice. To thicken the icing, add a bit more powdered sugar. To thin, add a bit more lemon juice. Drizzle the scones with icing and serve.
Notes
These are best the day they are made, but still pretty delicious the next day. Store them wrapped, or in an airtight container, at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 sconeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 782mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 2gSugar: 14gProtein: 5g
SAVE THIS RECIPE
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
This site is protected by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Comments
No Comments