Sour Lemon Scones

My love affair with scones started around my secondary school years. One particular summer, my friends and I made daily treks to Padang, an open field in the middle of downtown Singapore, to watch an inter-regional softball tournament. We'd meet up at City Hall MRT in the morning, pick up breakfast -- scones for me -- and head to the field, where we sat and watched game after game until the sun went down. The field is sandwiched between two busy streets with bumper to bumper traffic, and it was always a crowd pleaser when a foul ball hit a passing public bus.  

I have very fond memories of that summer and those buttery, fluffy scones. 

Sour Lemon Scones

Yields: 12 scones

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup lemon zest

2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Whisk to combine. Add chilled butter and rub into the flour mixture. 

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and lemon zest. Slowly pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. (The dough will be pretty wet.) Knead gently. Gather the dough onto a floured work surface. Separate the dough into two disks. Don't overwork the dough. 

Cut each disk into 6 wedges. Place on baking sheet. Brush each wedge with the remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake in the oven (center rack) for 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer scones to cooking rack. These tastes great when served warm, with a cup of tea. 

I love these scones because they're mild and not super sweet. They're really easy to make and lasted about 3 days at my house. 

~Ray