Meyer Lemon Scones

It makes me a little sad I was only able to get my hands on 3 Meyer lemons this winter. I never saw them in the local grocery stores and I only got them once in my CSA box. Through all the recipes I have saved, I chose to use them for these Meyer Lemon Scones. It was a wonderful choice. I love to make scones as a part of a weekend breakfast since they are so easy to make. The addition of Meyer lemon juice and zest gave these scones a light, citrus flavor without all the acidity. I topped the scones with turbinado sugar for a bit of extra crunch, but you can also use granulated sugar if you don’t have turbinado lying around. These scones are best within a few hours of baking. With time, the sugar topping tends to dissolve and get sticky.

Work quickly once you have added the butter to the dough. The trick to good scones is to not let the butter get too warm. If for some reason you have to take a break (it happens every so often with a toddler), stick the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes until you can get back to it. Mix in the liquid ingredients and knead the dough as little as possible. Over-mixing tends to create a tough scone.

The Meyer lemon is a hybrid fruit (likely the cross between a lemon and mandarin orange) originally grown in China. It was first brought to the United States in 1908 by Frank Meyer. Meyer lemons are rounded, with a yellow to orange tinted skin. The pulp has a deep yellow coloring, is sweeter and less acidic than lemons. They are available year round, but are best between the months of December to April.

Meyer Lemon Scones Recipe

Adapted from Jelly Toast

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Meyer Lemon Scones

A recipe for Meyer Lemon Scones

Course Breakfast

Cuisine N/A

Keyword breakfast, brunch, citrus, lemon, meyer lemon, scone

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 38 minutes

Servings 10 Large Scones

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest 2-3 Meyer lemons
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cold

Topping:

• 1 egg white lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease.
• In a medium bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar using your fingers. Whisk in the milk, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into pieces, then quickly work it into the flour using a dough blender, two forks, or your fingers. Once the largest pieces are the size of a pea and the texture is crumbly, fold in the liquid ingredients until just combined.
• Place the dough on floured surface and lightly knead to bring it together. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and press into a disc, 3/4 inches thick and about 9 inches wide. Cut into 10 wedges, but keep the disc intact.
• Brush the top and sides of the disc with egg white and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake in preheated oven until beginning to turn golden, 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool on pan before cutting and separating the slices.