One word. Zesty.

These little scones are zesty. And they have the perfect balance of sweetness.

They are buttery and lemony tidbits of joy, glazed with a sweet vanilla drizzle. These scones are perfect for tea parties, brunches, breakfast, or a slightly sweet & sinful treat, just because.

I love making treats for people. Nothing can beat the smile that is received, in return. Sharing homemade goods really spreads the love, and also maybe the calories, but who cares? When it comes to serving and blessing others, calories don’t count.

For those of you who aren’t so inclined to baking, scones are fairly simple to make and always a joy to savor, so try them out!

The only thing I wish I had was a good circular cutter. I never seem to have one that’s the right size. My mom has this really cool two-sided round biscuit cutter, with two different sizes and it is heaven-sent. It’s an old brown plastic thing from the 70’s that looks like it will break at any given moment, but somehow it has lasted through the ages.

So, when I can’t seem to find the right size cutter, I get creative and start checking out the glassware. I’ve found that wine glasses work best, for a few reasons:

1. You can justify enjoying a glass of wine immediately following the cutting out of scones. I mean, it’s already down from the cabinet. Just give it a good rinse and you’re set.

2. Thin-rimmed glasses are precision cutters…just be absolutely sure to flour the rim each time.

3. See #1. Obviously.

Lemony Poppy Seed Scones {with Sweet Vanilla Glaze}

Print Recipe!

Makes about 30 small scones or 15 larger scones

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsps poppy seeds

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp salt

10 Tbsps (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg

3  Tbsps fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup whole milk (or alternative milk)

1 tsp vanilla

Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling tops

Sweet Vanilla Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsps lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Add pieces of butter and work it into the dry mix with your hands, until it resembles a course meal (or you can use a pastry cutter).

In a medium bowl, whisk egg, lemon juice, milk and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture and mix until it is incorporated into a dough. If sticky, add a touch more flour and if too dry add another splash of milk.

Using floured hands, gather dough into ball and on a lightly-floured surface, flatten dough into a 1/2- 3/4 inch thick round. With a biscuit cutter, cut into desired size circles. Transfer scones to a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet; lightly brush the tops with milk and sprinkle each with a pinch of Turbinado sugar.

Bake until scones are lightly golden brown, about 20-25 minutes (adjust baking time to size of scone). Transfer to rack and cool.

To make the glaze: mix ingredients together and drizzle over completely cooled scones. Allow glaze to dry before storing them.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Chrissy