These easy one-bowl lemon poppy seed scones, with lemon and poppy seeds both in it and on top! A perfect lemon treat to enjoy any time of day.
Why I love these lemon poppy seed scones
I think there is almost no nicer treat than a lemon poppy seed scones. They just seem to be the perfect bite, any time of day.
These easy scones have lots of lemon zest in the cream scones, along with poppy seeds, of course.
To finish them off, a tangy lemon glaze with a few more poppy seeds.
Ingredients and Substiutions
Lemon – you will need 1 fresh lemon to get both the lemon zest and the lemon juice you will need for these scones and the glaze. I made these with regular lemons. If you have some Meyer lemons, they would be just as nice.
Cream – These scones are lovely made with heavy cream, as they make for wonderful rich flavour and texture. That said, you can use a lighter cream, if you prefer, though the resulting scones will, of course, be less rich.
Step-by-Step Photos
Start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and cut in to the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or knives. Add cream and mix until the dough comes together.
Remove dough to a work surface and form into a ball. Roll or press into a 1-inch thick round, about 7-8 inches in diameter. Use a sharp knife to cut the round into 8 or 12 wedges.
Remove the wedges to a parchment lined baking sheet and brush the tops with some cream. Bake. Allow to cool completely, then mix up the glaze and spoon or brush onto the cooled scones.
Baker’s Notes
I cut my scones into wedges, as I find it the most efficient way to make scones (no waste :). If you’d like, you could also use a small round biscuit cutter, to cut into rounds.
Tips for Making These Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
My best scone making tips …
- Keep the butter cold, don’t handle the dough too much (thus warming up the butter).
- Add only add as much liquid as is needed to make the dough come together. You may not need all the cream specified for your dough. Don’t throw it out though. Reserve it to brush on the top before baking.
- The perfect scone dough is not too crumbly, but also not sticky. The dough should stick together when squeezed.
- And speaking of brushing the tops of the scones, one more tip is to make sure that you just brush the tops and don’t let it drip down the sides, which can seal up the sides and prevent them from rising in lovely layers.
- Finally, when cutting scones or biscuits, cut with one swift motion straight down. You’ll get nice sharp sides without sealing up the sides and preventing the layers from expanding. This is especially important if using a round cutter. Never twist the cutter. Just straight down once.
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Get the Recipe: Double Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest, finely grated
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, reduce to 1/2 tsp if using salted butter
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , cold, cut in to cubes
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (35% b.f.), plus more for brushing (can use a lighter cream, if you prefer)
Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (not fan assisted) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cube the butter and place in a bowl in the freezer until needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and 2 tsp of poppy seeds. Add the cold butter cubes and cut in to the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives, cutting in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add about 3/4 of the cream and use a fork to mix. Add more of the cream, as needed, until the mixture is evenly moistened.
- Remove dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gather dough together in to a ball. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough in to a 1-inch thick round, about 7-8 inches diameter. Using a sharp knife, cut dough in to 8-12 wedges, depending on how big (or small) you might like them. Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between the wedges.
- Brush top of scones with cream. Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden. Transfer scones to a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath to cool completely.
- Prepare the glaze by mixing the icing sugar, lemon juice and poppy seeds until smooth. Brush cooled scones with glaze and let stand until the glaze sets, about 15 minutes.
- These scones keep well at room temperature for a couple of days or freeze extras to enjoy any time.
Notes
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More Lemon Poppy Seed Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Lemon and poppyseed is the perfect combo! I love how easy these are too. Must try!
Thanks so much, Karen :)
These were amazing. We (my granddaughter, Luci and I) doubled the zest and poppy seed, and added two drops of Lorann lemon oil. Making them again with orange zest! They were really yummy three and four days later.
So glad! They would be great with orange :)
So glad you enjoyed them and I agree, the glaze makes for the perfect balance. You could probably try a bit more icing sugar in the glaze if you make them again, to help it stay put a bit better.
I’m a Virgo so that explains why these scones really speak to me! They remind me of some we devoured in Ireland. Poppy seeds and lemon must be terrific in these flaky, delicious treats! By the way, happy birthday Capricorn!
Thanks Tricia. And yes, I did recently become a year older! Eating scones to celebrate :)
I love, love, love lemon poppyseed anything Jennifer, so they NEED to be baked up real soon at my house! They look perfect. And that glaze!
Thanks Mary Ann and I am a huge lemon poppy seed fan, too, so these will be regulars in my house :)
I adore lemon poppy seed anything! What scrumptious scones :)
Thanks so much, Laura :)
Ha! I just finished making and shooting scones! We’re two peas in a pod today. These look fabulous, I love lemon in baked goods and sure wish that one with the bite had been my bite!
Great minds think alike :) Lemon scones are my absolutely favourite flavour for scones!