This recipe is from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Someone mentioned the cookbook on his/her blog and made a recipe from it. Of course, I thought I bookmarked it, but didn’t, and now I don’t know whose blog it was. Whatever recipe you made, it really got my attention! WAS IT YOURS???
Nevertheless, this cookbook has lots of great treats in it! There are some amazing recipes for cookies that I will be trying as well as the recipe for “Sweet and Salty Cake.” It looks chocolaty delicious! And a Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake also.
Most folks like the tangy taste of lemon and these scones definitely have it. They are not sweet at all and that is what I like about them.
Matt, my younger son, was sampling the scones when he commented, “They have a unique taste, but I’m not sure what it is.” I’m not sure either; if it is due to the ginger with the lemon, or the raw sugar on top, or the combination of all three.
Here’s what Matt Lewis says about them:
“If you had to categorize our sour lemon scones, they would probably be filed under the heading ‘elegant.’ They are the kind of breakfast treat you would serve for a dressy brunch of special Sunday get-together. The texture is light and the lemon flavor is strong and tangy without being overpowering. For a special, serve these scones with a sweet-tart fig or berry jam.”
OK! Now I have questions for you all:
- I sprinkled raw sugar on top of the scones before baking --- does it have a very distinct taste after baking? It was hard to tell since it was embedded in the scones.
- Instead of grating lemons, I used McCormick’s lemon peel as I could not find a bottle of lemon zest in the market. Is lemon peel stronger than lemon zest, are they interchangeable? I should’ve used real lemons, right?
- Do lemon and ginger combine well? I don’t recall ever having a problem with that duo.
These sour lemon scones were delicious, especially warm but the taste is so different; I just can’t figure out what it is…
 |
Ready for baking |
|
|
Sour Lemon Scones
Ingredients:
4 cups flour
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ginger
1½ (3 sticks) butter, cubed and cold
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk, divided
¼ cup grated lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
2 tablespoons raw sugar
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger.
Whisk until combined.
Add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, ¾ cup of the buttermilk, and lemon zest.
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then gently knead the dough with your hands until the dough starts to come together.
Move the dough to a lightly floured surface. Use you hands to shape the dough into two discs (about 1½ inches in height.) Do not overwork the dough.
Cut each disk into 6 wedges.
Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet.
Brush each scone with the remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes (rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time) or until the scones are golden brown.
Transfer the scones to a cooling rack; they can be served slightly warm or completely cooled.
Store in airtight container.
It’s another great cookbook for treats!