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Sour Cream Lemon Scones on serving plate

Sour Cream Lemon Scones

Beautifully light and tender little lemon scones that go together particularly well with wild blueberry jam.
Course Brunch
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 20 small scones
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold butter
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 egg
  • few tbsp turbinado sugar optional
  • Zest of one lemon finely minced
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a food processor, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest.
  3. Pulse in the butter.
  4. Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour.
  5. Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
  6. Mix together the sour cream, milk and vanilla. Pour into the well.

  7. Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the milk and sour cream mixture, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. 

  8. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. I don’t even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. 

  9. Using a small biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them, 1 1/2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend an aluminum baking sheet because it tolerates the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits.

  10. Whisk together the water and egg and brush lightly over the top of the biscuits. You will only need a little of the egg wash mixture.
  11. Sprinkle with some turbinado sugar if desired.
  12. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.