Fresh Mint and Lemon Scones
Scones always sounded a bit intimidating to me. But surprise surprise, they’re so easy! They don’t even have to rise, and scones can be made in so many different flavor combinations. I have some fresh mint I’ve been dying to use, so I decided to play with a recipe for fresh mint and lemon scones.
These scones are somehow tender and crispy, fruity and herbaceous, and easy and impressive all at once. You could glaze them, but they are perfectly sweet on their own. Fresh mint and lemon scones are a light and buttery dream, and they can be yours in less than half an hour.
This scone recipe is adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen recipe, with a few changes. It’s been streamlined overall, calls for fewer ingredients, and produces a much more buttery scone. (I feel that’s part of the point, don’t you?) These fresh mint and lemon scones can also be made with dried mint if there’s no fresh mint on hand; but since dried herbs are more potent, use half of the mint.
These scones are best fresh out of the oven, so I would recommend storing them unbaked in the fridge overnight if you’re serving them for breakfast. Honestly, these are great at any time. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- zest of 3 lemons
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Next, heat your heavy cream in a saucepan until it starts to simmer. Stir in the mint, remove from heat, and allow to steep while you make the scone dough.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (If using a stand mixer, sprinkle the butter on top of the flour mixture and pulse 12 times.) Next, add the honey and the zest of 3 lemons. Stir in your heavy cream until dough begins to form.
Turn out your dough onto a floury surface. Knead it into a rough ball and smooth it into a circle. Cut the dough into wedges with a bench scraper. (You may also cut out pieces with a biscuit cutter if you like.)
Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet and bake until the scones have lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm. Enjoy!