Lovely Lemon Ginger Scones

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Lemon scone recipes have always been frustrating to me. On the one hand, I want a zingy lemon flavor; but on the other hand, it can’t be too sour. And I like my scones to be light and delicate in texture.

I think perhaps the reason it’s so hard to achieve this combination is that lemon juice is usually used to flavor lemon scones. However, fruit juices are not the best liquids to use in scones, as they tend to make the dough heavy. Cream is much better if you’re trying to make flaky scones.

Searching for the best lemon scone recipe

Earlier this week, I decided it was time to solve my scone conundrum. Armed with some scone lore, a few tested recipes, and plenty of lemons, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

My two year-old even helped to squeeze some lemons, until I caught him trying to drink all the lemon juice! He informed me that “it is pretty sour.” That didn’t seem to deter him!

I adapted one frustrating recipe (which I’ve been making for years, always saying I need to find a better version), and came out with these lovely lemon ginger scones.

I knew that it would take a lot of lemon juice to get the flavor I wanted, but that would ruin the texture of my scones. So I opted to use a minimal amount of juice and add more lemon zest instead.

The scones rose beautifully, but their flavor was still very light, so I made a lemon glaze to add just the right amount of sweet, lemony flavor.

Ginger is a nice complement to the lemon. I used candied ginger for zing, but it’s not enough to overpower the lemon. Chopped finely, it adds little bursts of flavor to liven up the scones.

That might be flavorful enough for some, but I love lemons! If you want even more lemon flavor, I suggest serving these delightful scones with lemon curd. Now that’s a lemon scone!

Method

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Give the mixture a good stir.

Cut the butter into chunks, then add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the butter until it is in pea-sized pieces.

Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, and mix in the lemon juice and half & half cream. Fresh lemon juice is best, because the flavor is stronger. You can substitute bottled lemon juice in a pinch.

For the cream, there are a few different options. I generally use half & half cream, but you can use heavy cream if you prefer. Whole milk will also work just fine, although the texture might be a bit less flaky. Sometimes I use part cream and part milk.

Pour the liquids into the flour mixture and stir gently to combine. Add the lemon zest and chopped, candied ginger, and stir until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board or countertop and knead it gently 6-8 times. Gentle kneading is key for making light, feathery scones.

Pat the dough out gently into an 8- or 9-inch round. It will be about 3/4″ thick. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the round into eight wedges. Transfer the scones to the buttered baking sheet, separating them by at least 1/2″.

Brush the scones with a little milk for a pretty finish. Milk doesn’t turn out as shiny as eggs when brushed oved breads, but it adds a nice touch. You may sprinkle the scones with sugar before baking if you don’t wish to make a lemon glaze.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown and the edges begin to brown. Remove from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.

For the glaze, measure the powdered sugar into a bowl. Cut in the butter with a fork until the mixture looks crumbly. Drizzle in about a tablespoon of lemon juice, and mix well. If the glaze still seems too thick, drizzle in a bit more lemon juice, but no more than a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.

When the scones are cool, drizzle them with the lemon glaze. Enjoy!

Happy baking!

~Kimberly

Print Recipe

Lemon Ginger Scones

These feathery scones will tantalize your tastebuds with their sweet lemon glaze and bursts of zingy candied ginger.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breads

Keyword: Bread, Ginger, Lemon, Scones, Tea Party

Servings: 8 scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp cold butter cubed
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup cream or milk + extra for brushing over scones
• 4 tbsp lemon juice divided
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp candied ginger finely chopped
• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a large baking sheet and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in butter until it is in pea-sized pieces.
• Combine eggs, cream, and lemon juice. Pour into flour mixture and stir gently.
• Add lemon zest and candied ginger. Mix until just combined.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board. Knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into an 8- or 9-inch round. Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife.
• Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the glaze: cut the butter into the confectioner's sugar with a fork until crumbly. Drizzle in 1 tbsp of lemon juice and mix thoroughly. If needed, drizzle in more lemon juice, but no more than 1 tsp at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
• Drizzle glaze over scones when cool.

Notes

If desired, sprinkle sugar over the tops of scones before baking them instead of glazing them.