These Heavenly Lemon Currant Scones in 40 Minutes feature cream, fresh lemon zest and currants. If you’re looking for a slightly sweet and bright weekend brunch side, look no further.
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A brief history on scones
I stumbled upon a post by Freshways on the history of the scone. Besides being a fascinating read on the Scottish origins of scones and the evolutionary differences between British (tend to be sweetened with fruits and cheeses) and Scottish scones (usually more savory), the pictures of scones throughout the post are enough to make anyone jump up out of their seat to put on the kettle and start baking a batch or two. I may have done just that.
For best results, just chill…
The base recipe for Heavenly Lemon Currant Scones in 40 Minutes is very similar to my recipe for Goronzola Apricot & Walnut Scones. Bold, earthy, sweet and savory, this scone recipe will have your friends talking. It blends the salty earthiness of Gorgonzola cheese with the sweetness of dried apricots. Walnuts add an interesting textural element. Reduced fat buttermilk not only lightens the texture of the scones but also lifts the overall flavor of the bake.
Although the flavor profiles are very different, the technique for making both the Gorgonzola scones and these lemon currant scones is pretty much the same. For both recipes, I recommend chilling down your equipment before baking. For best results, do the following:
- Chill your mixing bowl and paddle in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting. I usually do this while I’m gathering and measuring my ingredients to save time.
- After cutting your cold butter, place it back in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill down again.
- Lightly coat your currants in 1 Tbsp. of flour to help suspend them evenly in your scones.
If you follow these simple steps and you’ll have great success and perhaps a new favorite scone recipe!
Heavenly Lemon Currant Scones in 40 Minutes: Perhaps the perfect shareable bake
I’ve always had a soft spot for homemade gifts. If someone gives you a homemade dessert, they are not just proudly sharing their bounty with you. They are telling you how truly special you are to them. Baking is a labor of love. Gifting a homemade dessert is a declaration of love. I talk about this at some length in my recipe for Easy 2-Week Homemade Italian Limoncello.
Making Limoncello from scratch definitely falls into the category of homemade, love-language gifts. It’s a process that normally takes several weeks in stages, but the end result is like sipping on warm sunshine from a cordial glass. Yes, it’s that good.
Scones are kinda like that for me, too. They may be one of my most favorite bakes. Not only are they very easy to make, they are elegant and versatile. They pair perfectly with any meal of the day or serving as a simple snack. Savory or sweet, haute or humble, they are just so very lovely. And if you receive a gift of homemade scones, it means someone probably thinks a lot of you.
These delicious lemon currant scones are highly shareable, too. If I am looking for a way to let someone know I am thinking about them, I will sometimes bake a batch of these scones and pack them up with a box of tea. I especially like how these Heavenly Lemon Currant Scones pair with Darjeeling tea, but really, they go well with just about anything.
It’s a simple little thing, but there’s something about receiving a warm plate of scones that is so very charming. Blessings and enjoy!
Heavenly Lemon Currant Scones in 40 Minutes
Course: DessertsCuisine: English-AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate32
servings20
minutes20
minutesAn elegant, easy-to-make, and highly shareable bake.
Ingredients
4 cups A.P. flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 cup dried, red currants
3/4 lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup cold heavy cream
4 large eggs, beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. of cream (for the egg wash)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or a non-stick mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment on low to blend the dry ingredients.
- Add the currants to the flour mixture.
- Add the butter to the flour/currant mixture, blending until the butter has generally broken down into pea-size pieces. There may be a few slightly larger pieces of butter at this stage and that’s just fine.
- Combine the 4 whisked eggs and cream together. Gradually add it to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just blended.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and finish incorporating any unmixed dry ingredients by hand. Press the scone dough into a 10″ x 10″ square.
- Divide the dough into quarters and then divide each quarter into quarters again. You should have 16 squares at this point. Cut each of the squares on the diagonal. You should have a total of 32 scone triangles.
- Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet – leaving approximately 2 inches between each scone as they will double in size.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with finishing sugar.
- Bake the scones for 15 -18 minutes (depending on your oven) and rotate the tray mid-way through the baking time. Scones will be a nice golden brown on top.
- Transfer scones to a towel or wire rack to cool.
