Petite Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, scoop and level
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp heavy cream, divided
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner, then put it aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 20 seconds. Work the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture looks like rough crumbs, then create a hollow in the middle. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you mix the cream ingredients.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp of the cream with the lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract, yellow food coloring if using, and egg until smooth and evenly blended.
3. Pour the cream mixture into the hollow in the flour mixture. Stir with a spatula just until the dough begins to gather, then use your hands to fold and roll it gently a few times until it holds together. Do not overwork it, or the scones will lose some of their tenderness.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour over the top, then gently press and shape it into a 7 by 7-inch square. Slice it into 9 equal squares, then cut each square diagonally in half so you have two triangles from each square.
5. Move the scones to the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Lightly brush the tops with the remaining 1 Tbsp cream.
6. Bake in the heated oven for 10 – 14 minutes, until the scones are set. Move them to a wire rack and let them cool a bit, then spoon the lemon glaze over the tops and nudge it out to the edges. Leave the glaze to firm up at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
7. For the lemon glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Adjust as needed with a little more lemon juice or powdered sugar.