My boyfriend brought home a container of those super soft and tiny two-bite scones from the grocery store the other day (yeah, he’s an enabler) and as I was enjoying one I noted just how similar the texture was to my new favorite 5-ingredient freezer biscuits. They’re soft, deliciously light, and almost melt in your mouth. I knew instantly that I had to try to make those little two-bite scones myself.
To make them a bit sweeter than the regular biscuits I added some powdered sugar, which also helped give them that melt-in-your mouth texture. For the lemon flavor, I stuck to a hefty dose of fresh lemon zest, which gives a beautifully fresh lemon flavor without making them sour. I used the juice to make a simple lemon glaze, whose sweet-tart flavor provided a wonderful contrast to the rich scones.
And I’ve made two batches of these scones in the past week, so yeah, they’re dangerous!!
Yes, You MUST Use Heavy Cream.
And one more note. As with the 5-ingredient biscuits, you must use heavy cream for these. You absolutely need the high fat content (35-38%) of heavy cream to get the correct texture. So, no trying to substitute half-and-half, almond milk, or anything like that. Heavy cream or no go. (And if you need more information about the difference between half-and-half, light cream, and heavy cream, check out this article.)
Lemon Poppy Seed Two-Bite Scones
Servings 18 piecesIngredients
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.30)
- 1.25 cups all-purpose flour ($0.13)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided ($0.15)
- 2 tsp baking powder ($0.08)
- 2 tsp poppy seeds ($0.20)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream ($1.83)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Use a small-holed cheese grater or a zester to remove the zest from the lemon, then squeeze the juice into a separate bowl. You'll need about 1 tsp of zest and 1 Tbsp juice.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, baking powder, poppy seeds, and 1 tsp lemon zest. Make sure these ingredients are well combined.
- Stir the cream into the dry ingredients until a shaggy ball of dough forms. The dough will be fairly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, divide it into three pieces, and shape each piece into a disc (about 3 inches diameter). Cut each disc into six triangles.
- Arrange the cut scones on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the scones for about 15 minutes, or until they just begin to barely turn golden brown on top.
- While the scones are baking, place the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir in about 1 Tbsp lemon juice, or just enough to form a thick glaze.
- When the scones have baked, remove them from the oven, let them cool, then drizzle with the prepared lemon glaze.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Scones – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Zest and juice a lemon. In a large bowl stir together 1.25 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp of the lemon zest, and 2 tsp poppy seeds. Stir the dry ingredients together very well.
Add one cup of heavy cream.
Stir them together until it forms a sticky biscuit-like dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, divide it into three pieces, and form each piece into a 3-inch diameter disc. Cut each disc into six pieces (I tried four at first, but they were too big). I used a bench scraper to cut them, but a large chef’s knife would also work.
Place the cut scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for about 15 minutes, or just until they barely start to turn golden on top.
While the scones are baking, prepare the lemon glaze. Place the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a bowl and add about 1 Tbsp of the lemon juice, or just enough to form a thick glaze.
A couple of mine got a little TOO brown, but they were still fantastic. The second batch was all more like the scone on the bottom left. They’re moister when they’re less brown.
Wait for the scones to cool, then drizzle the glaze over top. Enjoy! They’re REALLY good with coffee, BTW. ☕️
I made these this morning as part of my snow day. They are SO good. I’ve pretty much eaten them all. Next time I will have to double the recipe! Thank you again!
How should these be stored, and how long are they good for?
Once they’re cooled to room temperature I just put them in an air-tight container. They’ll stay good as long as any baked good, so probably a few days before getting stale. You can also freeze them if you want to keep them for longer.
The scone itself was delicious! Do you know what the shelf life happens to be on these, or are they safe in the freezer?
I didn’t like the icing as much. For some reason, mine tasted almost soapy…?
Yes, you can definitely freeze these if you want to keep them for an extended period. :) They’ll stay good at room temperature, providing they are completely cooled and then stored in an air-tight container, probably 3-4 days. I’m not sure what that soapy flavor could have been… maybe there was some sort of coating on your lemon that the juice picked up as you squeezed it?
Where did the lemon juice come from? The fruit or from a bottle? I’ve made this icing before with both real lemon juice and the kind from the bottle and I’ve noticed that when I make it with the bottled lemon juice it tastes soapy. Perhaps that’s what the problem was.
I just made one batch tonight. I had wanted to since yesterday, so all day long I was dreaming of my scones. Finally with the kids to bed, i baked them in no time at all, and boy is it ever good! It’s fluffy and moist and everything you’ll ever want in a scone! I’m gonna make an othe batch tomorrow, and join the gym I guess!!! Thanks a lot for this delicious recipe, as usual!
These are super cute and look delish!
Could these be made into almond poppyseed scones? Thanks.
Yes, just add a little almond extract and maybe some sliced almonds and you’re good to go! :)
OH MY. These look heavenly! Just divine. I want to try making these, but I’m thinking of substituting poppy seeds with chia seeds since they’re all I have in the pantry right now. Do you think adding an extra teaspoon or so of chia (or any at all) will affect the texture of the dough? Thanks a lot!
Hmm, it’s really hard to say. Chia create a gel when they come into contact with moisture, but I’m not sure if they’ll have time or enough moisture to do so in this dough. I’ve never baked with chia before. :P
I just made these tonight, they are scrumptious!! I tend to love all of your recipes!
Me too! And my husband, as well as my kids!
It’s fate. I only wanted to look for the 5 ingredient freezer biscuits and this is up. Lemon is my ALL TIME favorite; I’m going to have to make these scones in addition to the biscuits.
Made these this morning. They are delicious! Thanks for another great recipe.
For gluten-free, dairy-free folks, don’t worry! I made these scones with gluten-free flour + cornstarch and full-fat coconut milk and they were heavenly. I’m sure they are great as written, but I was so happy to adapt the recipe for our dietary needs. Delicious and easy to make!
Thank you for sharing that!!
Hi, could you please share the specs for your GF recipe?
Thank you!
These look fantastic! I love the simplicity and the fact that it is a true scone recipe- as you said, cream is a must for the right texture. I hate “scones” that are basically just made with muffin batter. These will be great for a special breakfast or brunch- thanks!
I want to make these so much! Now I’m hoping we get that March snowstorm so I get to stay home and bake!
I love your freezer biscuits recipe. They were a huge hit a Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to try these too!
These look seriously delicious!