Hello!

It’s been a crazy week around here. I’ve been preparing for a couple of catering gigs and the end of the month cake rush. In all the planning, this blog has been put on the back burner, but I’m here today with some spectacular Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese Scones.Why are these little scones so great?

1. Well, first of all, they are full of Meyer lemon flavor. This seasonal fruit tastes like a combination of lemon and orange. Oh my word. So good. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s, but they are all over the place this time of year. I am planning to cook with them constantly before they disappear from shelves!

2. Cream cheese, y’all. Where my other scones are made with all butter, cream cheese steals the show here just like it does in my favorite pie dough. Its flavor in the finished scones is pretty mild, but the texture is just…incredible. These are the best scones I’ve ever made by a long shot. They’re crispy on the edges and insanely soft in the centers. I’m going to have a hard time making scones without cream cheese ever again.3. Another magic ingredient? Heavy cream. Plenty of bakers use heavy cream in their scones, but I almost always go for half-and-half. My old standby would definitely work here, but the extra fat in heavy cream helps the middles of these scones to be super tender. It definitely makes these a little heavier than your average scone, but the texture it brings is worth the extra calories.

4. The glaze. I’ll eat scones no matter how they’re adorned, but I am positively in love with this easy two ingredient glaze. The scones themselves are flavored with Meyer lemon zest, while the glaze is made with the juice. Just whisk it into some confectioner’s sugar and drizzle it all over the warm scones.I could write more, but I don’t think there’s a need. Run to the market this afternoon, pick up some Meyer lemons, and make some seriously good scones tomorrow morning. Enjoy your weekend!

Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese Scones
makes 8 scones 

zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into pieces
4 ounces (1/2 brick) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, very cold, cut into pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream + more for brushing, very cold

Glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
3-4 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

Note: Scone ingredients and dough need to remain cold at all times in order to bake up tender and flaky. If anything becomes room temperature or sticky prior to baking, chill for at least 15 minutes before proceeding as written.

Place oven racks at the top and bottom positions. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and Meyer lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cold butter and cream cheese. Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut them into the dry ingredients until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Fold in heavy cream. The dough should clump when pinched together.

Flour a surface and your fingertips. Turn dough onto the surface and pat into a 1-inch thick circle. Use a large, sharp chef’s knife to slice the circle into 8 wedges. Place scones at least 2 inches apart on prepared pan. Brush with heavy cream. Bake on the bottom rack for 7 minutes. Move pan to the top rack and bake an additional 8 minutes. Let scones cool in the pan on a rack while you make the glaze.

Combine confectioner’s sugar and 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice in a small bowl. Use a fork to whisk them together until smooth. For a thinner glaze, add 1 tablespoon more juice. Drizzle glaze over scones. Glaze will set after about 20 minutes.

Scones are best served the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours.