Cakes & Bakes: Almond & lemon scones

Almond & lemon scone with butter, jam and mug of tea

In the past, we’ve published a round up of our best scone recipes – and these almond & lemon scones need to be added to the top of that list.

Mixing bowl with flour, butter & sugar with zested lemon and grater

The recipe produces scones that are delicious, light and airy. Perfect as part of an afternoon tea.

Cutting out scones from pastry

Also, I think I’ve nailed the method for achieving scones with maximum lift. Make sure you’re using self-raising flour that hasn’t been hanging around for ages, getting a little stale. Chance would be a fine thing, in these Covid times! In addition, don’t overwork the pastry; it needs to just about hold together.

And another thing, don’t press the dough down too firmly or thinly before you begin cutting the circles; you want it to be about 5cm tall. When pressing the (floured) cutter down into the pastry, don’t twist it side to side; you want a clean, even cut.

Brushing the tops of scones with milk

Follow all these steps and you’ll have tall, well-risen scones!

Almond & lemon scones cooling on a wire rack

Our serving suggestion: butter, clotted cream and a fruit preserve such as a blueberry conserve or mixed berry jelly. Of course, lemon curd would be absolutely perfect too!

Click here or on the image below to save this almond & lemon scones recipe to Pinterest

Almond & lemon scones recipe

Almond & lemon scone with butter, jam and mug of tea

Almond & lemon scones

Waitrose Food
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Tea
Cuisine British
Servings 6 scones

Ingredients
  

  • 30 g/1oz golden caster sugar
  • grated zest of a lemon
  • 310 g/11oz self-raising flour plus extra for dusting
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • 40 g/1½oz ground almonds
  • 100 g/3½oz unsalted butter diced
  • 120-130 ml/4-4½ fl oz whole milk plus 2 tbsp to glaze

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas mark 7
  • Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl
  • Stir in the salt, almonds, 15g/½oz of the sugar and lemon zest
  • Rub in the diced butter until the mixture resembles soft sand
  • Use a blunt knife to quickly mix in 120ml/4 fl oz milk, bringing it all together with cool hands once a shaggy dough forms. (Add the extra 10ml/½ fl oz milk, if needed, to form a dough that's soft but not sticky)
  • Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until uniform. Bring together into a disc and roll out to about 4cm/1½" thick
  • Flour a 6-7cm/2½" cookie cutter and stamp out 6 rounds, gently reshaping and re-rolling the dough as needed
  • Brush the scones with milk, scatter with the remaining 15g/½oz caster sugar and swiftly transfer to the hot baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and risen
  • Cool on a wire rack
Almond & lemon scones ingredients
Serve with butter, clotted cream and fruit jam or jelly
Keyword almond, lemon, scones

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