Lemonade Scones

Lemonade Scones rise sky high with a crunchy exterior and a tender, fluffy interior. Filled with jam and cream, they're definitely the best part of any afternoon tea.

Living in the UK, I've learned to love afternoon tea. It's definitely a special occasion sort of things because it's pricy for this chintzy little sandwiches, but I really enjoy it. There's something proper and formal about it. I'm very much a crude American and could easily trash up the whole thing if I made my own version, but I enjoy pretending to be proper every once in a while.

For sure the best part of afternoon tea is the middle tier, the scones. As the only American some of my Scottish friends know, I often find myself in the position of explaining the difference between scones and American biscuits. Scones are a bit more sturdy than a deliciate biscuit. They're made with the same method of cutting cold butter into flour, but British scones usually also contain sugar where American biscuits don't.

What makes Lemonade Scones so awesome?

Lemonade Scones are just a slightly different method for making a classic British scone. The dough is firmer and the baked scones are sturdy with a relatively tight crumb. They have a beautiful crunchy crust on the outside, but they stay light and tender in the middle for a delicious texture contrast. They don't taste lemony, but there is a brightness from the acidic soda.

I love to serve these scones with clotted cream and jam or lemon curd. Put them on in whatever order you like. I'm not here to settle a debate. Although the cream is much heavier, so how you'd spread it over soft and squishy jam I have no idea. Just sayin'. Anyway, these are obviously ideal as an afternoon treat with a pot of really nice tea, but these are also sturdy enough to take on a picnic or share with friends at a meeting. Everyone who eats them will be ridiculously happy. At least, that's been my experience so far.

Make it magical

The magic of this recipe comes in the way the dense dough rises so high. This is, of course, the magic of chemistry which wouldn't exist without alchemy. So when you're working with ingredients like fizzy soda, bicarb, and baking powder, you can set an intention for something in your life to rise or expand quickly. Just like a homemade volcano, bringing these ingredients together causes things to explode into life. So as you watch your scones rise in the oven, imagine your fortunes rising in a similar fashion.

For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make these scones. The full details are in the recipe card below.

• Self-rising flour
• Baking powder
• Sugar - caster, superfine, or granulated sugar will all work; white sugar is best, but golden sugar would work if you like a slightly darker color to your scones
• Cream - double or heavy cream
• Lemonade - or lemon soda; do not use diet as the fake sugar will taste terrible when baked
• Egg - for an egg wash to give your scones that shiny exterior

Tips for making Lemonade Scones

This recipe uses cream instead of butter as the fat, so you need to extra boost from the fizz to help your scones rise. They won't have the layers from butter, but you won't believe how much they'll rise in the oven. Mix together your dry ingredients, then add the cream and lemonade and stir to combine. Knead it on a lightly floured surface until the dough just comes together. You don't want to overwork it, but I've found this dough very forgiving. Press or roll your dough to about 2 centimeters thick, transfer it to a baking sheet, and let it chill for about an hour.

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven and begin cutting out your biscuits with a 6 centimeter round cutter. You can reroll this dough and cut out more scones so you don't waste, but the first batch will always be the highest risers. A

Arrange your scones on a lined baking tray, paint them with your egg wash, and bake until beautifully risen and golden brown. You'll need to let them cool before eating, otherwise your cream will just melt everywhere.

Are you ready for something delightfully awesome? Make yourself some Lemonade Scones and a cup of tea and prepare for a beautiful afternoon.

Looking for more awesome scone recipes? Try some Sour Cream Scones or these Chocolate Orange Scones.

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Recipe slightly adapted from BBC Good Food.