Lemon-flavored treats are some of my favorites. So when I saw Joanna Gaines' recipe for orange scones, I decided I'd rather make them my way.
Joanna's original recipe makes 12 large scones, but I prefer smaller treats so I decided to divide mine into 16 pieces before baking them. The glaze was another thing I changed about the recipe – I also made mine lemon flavored but I used less powdered sugar to make it a little more syrupy.
What you need
For the scones –
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for forming scones
1.5 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP baking soda
1/2 TSP kosher salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 TSP grated lemon zest
12 TBSP (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
For the glaze –
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 TSP grated lemon zest
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TSP pure vanilla extract
1/2 TSP pure maple syrup
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Whisk in the sour cream. Set aside.
3) In another small bowl, place the sugar and orange zest. Using the back of a spoon, work the zest into the sugar until well combined. Stir the sugar mixture into the flour mixture. Add the frozen butter and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, blend until the mixture is pebble-like. Stir in the egg/sour cream mixture until the dough forms a ball (use your hands if it's easier). Divide the dough in half.
4) Place one dough portion on a lightly floured surface and press it into a 6-inch round (it should be about 3/4 to 1 inch thick). Cut the round into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough portion.
5) Bake until golden, 13-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the scones to a wire rack to finish cooling.
6) In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and lemon zest. Stir in the melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla and maple syrup, mixing until smooth.
7) Serve the scones warm or at room temperature.
Once glazed, the scones are best eaten the same day. Store unglazed leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.