Lemon Poppy Scones
Some days, I choose to bake because my sweet tooth demands it. Some days, I choose to bake because I'm bored. Once in a while, I bake because it makes me happy when I'm otherwise feeling gloomy. Today, for reasons still unknown to me, I woke up in a gloom, and it took some lemon poppy scones to pull me out of it and back into the sunshine!
I know that just in last week's post, I was talking about how rewarding it is to make something truly from scratch, and here I am sharing a scone recipe that calls for Bisquick. What can I say? Some days I have the heart for it, and other days I don't. And when you don't own a pastry blender, cutting the butter in for scratch-made scones can be a pain.
Scones are a relatively divisive pastry. First, Americans and Brits can't agree on what a scone is. (For the record, this is clearly a recipe for a type of American scone.) Then, if you narrow it down to American scones, some people think they're too dry and crumbly, and other people love them.
Most people who know me know that I don't discriminate when it comes to baked goods (unless there are raisins involved). My take on scones is this: I'll eat any scone, but I do love them best when they don't completely crumble in my hands. Mind you, all true scones are a little dry – it's just how they are – but I added a glaze to the top to try to lock in a little more moisture (not to mention flavor!).
These make a perfect treat for any time of day. The lemon flavor isn't overpowering, and they're not overly sweet, so they would be just as good for breakfast as they would for a light dessert. This is why lemon is one of my favorite flavors to bake with. It's so light and refreshing, and never seems to sit in my stomach as heavily as chocolatey desserts do. Not to mention, lemon always makes me think of warmer weather. Here's hoping that March brings us some spring weather soon!
LEMON POPPY SCONES
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups Bisquick
¼ c half-and-half
4 T sugar
1 egg
½ t vanilla
1 T lemon juice
1 T lemon zest
1 ½ t poppy seeds
Glaze
2 T lemon juice
â…” c confectioner's sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together Bisquick, half-and-half, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well-combined. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until evenly distributed.
Place the dough in the center of the cookie sheet. Flatten it into an 8-inch circle, and slice it into 8 wedges but don't separate them. Sprinkle the top with extra sugar.
Bake for 11-12 minutes, then let sit for about 5-10 minutes. Slice through the wedges again to separate them.
Glaze: Whisk together the lemon juice and sugar with a fork. Once the scones have cooled, brush them with the glaze. Let stand until the glaze sets.
Feel free to warm these up again before serving!
Happy Eating,
Natalie