Bright lemon, light lavender and crunchy poppy seeds all come together in these delicate and delicious scones with an irresistibly sweet lemon glaze. Prepare to be amazed!
You might think I have my seasons confused as I post a lemon recipe with fall knocking on the door. Well, when it comes to food (especially sweets!), my cravings know no seasons. When something sounds good, I make it. I bake pumpkin bread in July, peach cobbler in December and lemon scones in September. Why not?!
Seasons aside, you’re going to love these scones. They’re full of the most fabulous flavors that will leave your taste-buds refreshed yet salivating for more. The tartness of the lemon combined with the lightness of the lavender are a match made in scone heaven.
They’re crispy on the outside, buttery on the inside and made perfectly sweet with a simple lemon glaze. Great to bake for a weekend brunch or to brighten up any day of the week. I love scones with a cup of coffee or hot tea as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon treat. There’s just something about the crumbly texture and subtle sweetness of a good scone that has a special place in my baked goods loving heart!
These scones are the first of many recipes I’ll be creating with Gold Medal Flour over the next several months. I’m excited to be partnering with them again to bring you creative and delicious recipes that will have you running to the kitchen to preheat your oven over and over again.
Every time I bake scones, I give myself such a hard time over why I don’t bake them more often. They’re so quick and easy. Simple ingredients + simple steps = stunning scones! Let me show you how…
The key to that crumbly-buttery-moist texture is the cold butter that’s cut into the flour so there’s little chunks and bits all throughout.
Let’s talk lavender for just a moment. Such a lovely and unique flavor to bake with. When baking with lavender, you’ll want to find it dried for culinary use in the spice section, not the floral department. I find mine in the bulk spice section of my market where I can buy just the amount I need each time. Here’s what it should look like…
The best thing about scones is that you get a fabulous pastry without having to knead the dough or let it rise. In fact, the less you mess with the dough, the better.
A quick stir with a spoon, a gentle gathering with your hands and a pleasing pat into a round disc and you’re near done.
The key to the crispness and crunch on the outside of the scone is baking them at 400°F after being brushed with butter and sprinkled with a little sugar.
Works like a charm…
Then comes the glaze. Although the scones still taste great without it, it’s a must. A sweet simple lemon glaze brings out all the flavors in the scone, especially the lavender, with such brightness and refreshment.
They’re light, luscious and oh so lovable!
We’ve officially got a few more weeks of summer to squeeze in these scones, but seriously, why not bake and enjoy them year-round?! Lemon lovers know no season!
Enjoy!
xoxo,
Maegan
This recipe was created as part of my partnership with Gold Medal Flour however thoughts and opinions are certainly my own!
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, sliced
- 2 large lemons, zest and juice, divided (about 4 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons lemon zest)
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons culinary dried lavender spice
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
- more granulated sugar, for sprinkling
- 1 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from one of the lemons you used the zest of for the scones)
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or two knives moving in opposite directions until a crumbly mixture forms.
- Add the zest of both lemons to the mixing bowl along with the poppy seeds and lavender. Stir gently to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and add 3 tablespoons lemon juice, milk and egg. Stir with a spoon until mixture starts to come together and then gently and quickly mix with your hands until all flour is incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured surface and form into a circle just under 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top of each scone with a little melted butter and sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until the scones rise and start to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the glaze.
- Glaze: In a small mixing bowl, whisk the confectioner's sugar with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice until smooth and of drizzling consistency. Add additional confectioner's sugar if glaze is too thin or lemon juice if it's too thick.
- Once scones have cooled slightly, drizzle glaze evenly among them. Let set about 10 minutes before enjoying.
Such gorgeous pictures!
My scones turned out perfect!!! This is a great recipe, I’ve never even made scones before this. I cut all of mine in half because I have 3 siblings so we need more snacks haha and they still turned out awesome 🙂
Hi Alden! I’m so happy to hear you baked and love them! You’ve got some lucky siblings 😉 Enjoy!
Aw man! Mine all flattened into a giant pancake! But it still tastes good. 🙂
Oh goodness, Lucy! They definitely shouldn’t have flattened at all. Did you follow the instructions exactly?
Mine also flattened and I think the mixture was too wet. Your pictures looked like it was a bit firmer than mine turned out.
Hi Danielle! Did you follow the ingredients exactly? Was the dough thick when you pressed it into a 1-inch disc?
How long will these stay fresh?
Hi Elizabeth! They’re best when eaten within 2 days. Enjoy!
All I can find is lavender paste-can I substitute that for the dried lavender? And if so, how much should I use?
Hi Cindy! I’ve never used lavender paste to bake with so I couldn’t say for sure without testing the recipe, but I’ve read that it’s much stronger in flavor than dried lavender so I would recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon and adjust from there. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Do these freeze well?
Hi Tara! I haven’t tried freezing these scones, but most scones freeze well. Just let them cool completely and transfer them to a freezer-safe resealable bag or airtight container before freezing for up to 1 month. Enjoy!
Made these last night. They were amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi,
Does anyone know the amount of butter in grams? I don’t know the standard weight of a stick of butter.
Thank you!
Hi Lena! 1 stick of butter is equal to 8 tablespoons or 113 grams or 1/2 cup or 4 ounces.
Do you know about how much juice of two lemons is? I have some lemon juice I froze from a bunch of lemons, but I have no idea how much would come from two lemons. Thanks
Hi Laurel! There are about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in each lemon depending on the size of the lemon. You’ll need 4 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons lemon zest for this recipe. Enjoy!
I just made these scones and…perfect score! I’m with you Maegan, why wait until summer when I can enjoy them in the middle of winter? Thanks for brightening my day with this awesome recipe.
Will it make a big difference if I omit the poppy seeds?
Hi Mary! It won’t make a huge different, they just add a slight nutty flavor and crunch to the scones and help balance out the sweetness and tartness. You can definitely omit them though. Enjoy!
Hi! I’m a baking/pastry student and we will be making scones in class next week.
Where did you purchase your lavender buds and garnish?
Thank you!
Hi Marie! I get them at a specialty market here in Dallas called Central Market. You can find them in the bulk section of most specialty stores. Enjoy & best wishes!