Categories: Easter, Scones, Spring, sweets
Ingredients
- SCONES:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy or whipping cream, plus a little for brushing
- 1 egg yolk, beaten slightly
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- LEMON GLAZE:
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy or whipping cream
Directions
- Heat the oven to 400°. Grease a large, heavy baking sheet (preferably not a dark one) and set it aside.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest and toss the mixture with your hands.
- Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the cream, the yolk, and the vanilla extract and use a fork to blend the liquids within the well. Then use a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients, just until the dough holds together.
- Scrape the dough onto a flour-dusted surface and then, using floured hands, knead it gently three or four times to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk about 3/4-inch thick, then cut it as you would a pie into 8 wedges. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between them. Brush the tops lightly with cream.
- Bake the scones in the center of the oven until golden brown, about 16 to 18 minutes. Allow them to cool on the sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.
- While the scones continue to cool, make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk them until the mixture is smooth. If necessary, you can thin the glaze with water, stirring in no more than 1/2 teaspoon at a time. When the scones have cooled for another 10 minutes, drizzle each one generously with glaze. Makes 8 scones.