A few weeks ago I brought strawberry-rhubarb scones to the office and they disappeared almost instantly. One colleague, clearly surprised, told me he had never realized scones could be so light—referring to texture rather than calories. At first I was taken aback by his surprise, then I realized his impression came from the heavy, overly sweet scones sold at many coffee shops and supermarkets. Those dense, sugary versions—often finished with an unnecessary icing drizzle—give real scones a bad reputation.
Good scones are nothing like those hockey-puck imitations. The scones that impressed my colleague were inspired by a recipe from The Brick Kitchen that uses grated frozen butter to create an almost laminated dough. They yield a flaky, tender crumb and are one of my current baking obsessions.
That said, my favorite scones come from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible: the “Rich and Creamy Ginger Scones.” Their secret is whipped cream, which makes them simultaneously rich and light. I had been reluctant to change that recipe because the delicate ginger flavor felt almost sacrosanct.
Recently, a supplier of edible flowers had a pop-up at the Dupont Circle Farmers’ Market, and I picked up a small assortment of blossoms. I wanted to use them in a way that would highlight their delicate appearance and mild flavor. Scones came to mind, and I thought of The Bread Bible recipe. Worrying that ginger might overpower the flowers, I adapted the recipe to use lemon zest instead of ginger. The result—lemon cream scones decorated with edible petals—was both lovely to look at and delicious to eat.
Lemon Cream Scones with Edible Flowers
Adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
Ingredients
-
12
tbsp / 170 g
unsalted butter,
cold -
3/4
cup / 174 g
heavy cream -
2
cups / 284 g
unbleached, all-purpose flour -
1/3
cup / 66 g
granulated sugar -
1
tbsp / 15 g
baking powder -
1/8
tsp
salt -
1
tsp
grated lemon zest
To finish:
-
2
tsp
heavy cream - edible flowers or petals
Instructions
-
Cut the butter into 3/4-inch cubes and chill for at least 30 minutes. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form, then cover and refrigerate.
-
Place a baking stone or large baking sheet on a middle rack and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a smaller baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the chilled butter cubes and cut them in with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the whipped cream.
-
Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the cream, then gently knead the dough in the bowl until it just comes together.
-
Turn the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and knead about eight times, until you can form a smooth ball.
-
Divide the dough in half and press each half into a rectangle roughly 5 by 7 inches. Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.
-
Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut six rounds from each rectangle. Re-roll the scraps and return them to the freezer. Arrange the cut scones on the parchment-lined sheet and gently press an edible flower or a few petals into the top of each one. Freeze the baking sheet for five minutes to firm the scones.
-
Remove the sheet from the freezer and brush the scones lightly with the remaining heavy cream, taking care not to disturb the flowers.
-
Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the scones are just beginning to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Choose mild- or sweet-flavored edible flowers or petals. If you are unsure whether a particular blossom is edible, check reliable sources before using it; only petals are edible for some varieties.
- For evenly shaped scones, press the dough into rectangles of uniform thickness. When cutting, press the biscuit cutter straight down without twisting to preserve the rise.
- The lemon flavor here is subtle. You can increase the lemon zest for a brighter flavor or experiment with orange zest or a drop of almond extract for variation.
