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Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

It’s been a while since I last posted.

During the interlude, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Civil Rights Day, Valentine’s Day, and Presidents Day.

I’ve graded student papers, traveled to Waco, Texas for a week of studies with my colleagues in the Executive LL.M. program in Litigation Management, completed my own final exams, prepared written materials for a continuing education course, and taught the course. And because the second trimester of my studies started on the heels of the first, I have plunged into another round of classes, while trying to keep up with my day job.

It’s been a busy few months.

Friday night, I asked Rebecca what she wanted for our Saturday breakfast. She suggested we have Lemon Poppy Seed Scones, something we had not tried before. Well, now we have, and so can you.

This is the same recipe that I regularly use when making scones, with the addition of lemon flavoring and poppy seeds. Try out the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments.

ingredients

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 to 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
zest and juice of one medium lemon
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450*.

Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to mix.  Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of grains of rice. Mix in the poppy seeds.

Add the lemon juice and zest. Slowly blend in the heavy cream until the mixture forms a dough.

Roll (or pat) out the dough until it is about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the scones using a biscuit cutter or knife. I use a 2-inch cutter, which typically gives me 12 scones.

Place the scones about 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Glaze the top of the scones with heavy cream. You also can sprinkle on turbinado sugar if you like.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes. You’ll be tempted to eat the scones as soon as they come out of the oven, but wait a few minutes first. The flavors intensify as the scones cool.

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Double Chocolate Blueberry Scones

Those of you who know me know that I like to make scones. They are great for a quick breakfast or snack. And the basic recipe is versatile and easy to vary. I can use whatever we already have on stock at home.

I previously shared the recipe for Bacon Cheese Scones. This recipe starts with the same basic ingredients, but adds some chocolate-y and fruity goodness. And everyone loves chocolate.

This version incorporates both cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a rich double chocolate flavor.

Experiment with different ingredients to find your favorite combination. Substitute peppermint pieces and extract for the chocolate chips and vanilla. Try different dried fruits. (I especially like dried cherries.) Add some toasted pecans or walnuts. Replace the cocoa powder and vanilla with sliced almonds, craisins, and almond extract. Be adventurous. Your taste buds will thank you.

Ingredients

Start with the ingredients for a basic sweet scone.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Your variety comes from the mix-ins. For the double chocolate scones, I use

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried blueberries

Directions

Preheat over to 450*.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa in a food processor. Pulse until mixed (1 or 2 times). Add the butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of a pea. Alternatively, you can cut in the butter using a fork or a pastry blender.

Add in the chocolate chips and blueberries. With the processor running on low, slowly add the whipping cream and vanilla until a dough forms. Do not over mix.

Turn out the dough on a clean surface. You may still have patches of dry ingredients in the dough (see photo below).

Gently knead the dough to incorporate any remaining dry ingredients. Pat the dough into a round disk about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

With a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out individual scones. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Gather any scraps of dough, pat out into a disk, and cut additional scones. You should have 12 to 14 scones.

Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes.

Alternate Directions

Special Request from my sister, Liz Marquez.

If you are really ambitious, you can use fresh blueberries (or other fruit) in lieu of dried fruit. The fresh fruit adds liquid to your mixture, so decrease the amount of whipping cream slightly by a tablespoon or so.

Follow the directions above until you are ready to add the chocolate chips and the blueberries. Transfer the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips. Then add the blueberries. Gently fold the whipping cream and the vanilla into the dry ingredients until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Pat the dough out into a disk, and follow the remaining directions from above.

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Bacon Cheese Scones

I love scones for breakfast. They are quick and easy to make; it’s fun to experiment and try new flavor combinations.

Rebecca likes savory scones. I start with a basic scone recipe and customize it depending on my mood that day.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Then its time for the flavorings.

  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup (or more) real bacon bits
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Hot sauce to taste (I like Tabasco)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Pulse flour, baking powder, and salt in your food processor. Cut the butter into 1/4 inch chunks and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand (about 5 to 7 times). Add cheese and bacon. Pulse once or twice. With your processor running on low, slowly add the cream and hot sauce to the mixture until a dough forms.

Remove the dough from the processor. Pat it out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the scones using a biscuit or cookie cutter. I like to use a 2-inch square cutter.

Place the scones on a silicone baking sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the scones are golden brown.

When I bake scones, I always bring some in to the office for my colleagues. I like to take care of the people who take care of me.