Breakfast

LEMON WHITE CHOCOLATE SCONES

lemon white chocolate scones

When life gives you lemons head to the kitchen!  You can turn it around by making these yummy lemon white chocolate scones!  Yep… I’m still on my lemon kick.  This self isolation is making me a bit loopy, and the best therapy for me is cooking or baking.  Since our house is still overflowing with lemons I decided we should bake some lemony treats.  Recently while going through my old recipe box I said “Hey Ash, let’s bake some lemon scones”.  “What are scones?” she asked.  Suddenly guilt ran through my body.  I had failed in my job as a mother, my 16 year old daughter who loves food, baking, has been in countless bakeries, and traveled throughout England and Ireland doesn’t know what a scone is?  What kind of Mother am I?  Ok… see, this isolation is making me lose it!

lemon white chocolate scones

Scones remind me of a cross between a biscuit and soft cookie.  They are moist and soft on the inside, and the outside has delicious crumbly edges.  Scones might seem a little fussy to make but honestly they aren’t.  The key to making successful scones is to keep the ingredients as cold as possible, especially the butter, and to not overwork the dough.  If this is your first time making scones or you haven’t been successful in the past, have no fear I’ve got a few easy tips to share.

lemon white chocolate scones

TIPS TO GET THE BEST SCONES

You want all your ingredients cold.  With a lot of baking it’s good to let your ingredients warm to room temperature, but not with scones.

Place the amount of cold butter you need on a small plate, chop it into pieces, and place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.  You can also measure out the dry ingredients and place them into the freezer as well, this ensures everything stays cold.

Blend the flour and butter mixture until it resembles sand.  When you pick it up and squeeze it between your fingers it should be cohesive, a little like moon sand, if you know what that is.

Scone dough is delicate so it’s very important not to overwork the dough, just pat it together into a ball, then a circle, and stop.

Altitude, humidity, and temperature can affect baked goods, sometimes I need to add a little extra milk.  Should your scone dough be too dry to form into a ball, add a few extra teaspoons at a time of COLD milk until the dough comes together.  Take care not to over-wet the dough, it should look a bit crumbly.

Rest the dough 20 minutes in the refrigerator so the butter pockets stay nice and cold.

To make this recipe easier I use a food processor, I use it for everything!  You can go old school and blend the ingredients with a pastry blender or even two forks, just be aware it will take longer.

Follow these easy tips and you’ll have delicious scones in no time!

How to make scones

Pulling the scones apart before baking helps create a crumbly edge, if you prefer softer edges keep them closer together.

How to make scones

lemon white chocolate scones

I like to finish with a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and lemon juice.  Don’t skimp on the glaze, it’s the best part.   A bit tart on it’s own, but it’s bursting with fresh lemon flavor and makes for an incredible scone!

lemon white chocolate scones

WHY USE PARCHMENT PAPER?

I love the ease of using parchment paper, it protects my baking sheets and makes clean up a breeze.  You can go without, but be aware scones tend to brown a bit more on the bottom when not using parchment paper.

CAN YOU FREEZE SCONES?

Yes you can!  I recommend that if you plan to freeze them, do it before before baking, not after.  Follow the steps by slicing the scone circle into equal slices on the baking sheet.  Pull the slices apart and freeze on the baking sheet 4-5 hours until frozen solid.  Then place the scones in a freezer bag, or you can individually wrap them and freeze.  If you bake them from frozen, increase the cooking time 5-10 minutes.

Lemon White Chocolate Scones

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbs baking powder
  • 1 tbs lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 tbs unsalted butter, cubed & COLD
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbs lemon juice

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs lemon juice

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Whisk milk, lemon juice, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in small bowl.
  • In a food processer combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse several times to blend.
  • Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles sand.
  • Transfer the butter mixture to a seperate bowl and add the wet ingredients, stir just until the dough comes together. Then stir in the white chocolate chips.
  • Gently form the dough into a ball. The dough will be crumbly, if it's too dry to form a ball add a few teaspoons of cold milk until the dough comes together. Take care not to overwork the dough. Stop once you can form a ball.
  • Place the dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet and with your fingers press the dough into a 1 inch thick circle.
  • Place the baking sheet with the dough into the refrigerator to chill 20 minutes.
  • With a knife, cut the dough circle into triangles. Then seperate the triangles until they're about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake 20-25 minutes or until the scones rise and are golden. Remove the scones from the oven and place on a wire rack until cool.
  • While the scones are cooling, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the scones and serve.

lemon white chocolate scones

I have redeemed myself.  I’m so glad to share that Ashley now knows the importance of a proper scone and how to make them.

The scones are best served fresh, they tend to dry out a little the next day but they’re still delicious.  Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  These scones taste so light and refreshing, lemons and white chocolate just go so good together, ya know?  YUM!

 

Laura

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