• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Crumb: A Food Blog logo

  • Home
  • About Crumb
    • About Isabelle
    • Press, Awards and Contributions
    • Privacy Policy
  • About the Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Crumb
  • About Isabelle
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » baked goods » biscuits and scones » Spring Blossoms: Lemon Ginger Scones and A Cup of Tea

    Spring Blossoms: Lemon Ginger Scones and A Cup of Tea

    May 18, 2011 · 24 Comments

    Lemons are like the embodiment of spring to me - clean, bright sunshine and fresh breezes distilled into a nubby-skinned yellow fruit.

    Each spring, I instantly start to crave lemon. It's an annual ritual, as predictable as the return of the red-breasted robins, or the transition from heavy winter parka to light spring jacket, or the scattering of bright blue scilla blossoms that oh-so-briefly carpets my front lawn.

    Lemon-Ginger Scones

    Whenever I start to think about my next meal, my thoughts inevitably turn to lemons... lemon pasta, lemon aioli, lemon tarts, lemon curd, lemon cake, and any number of other tart, lemon-scented dishes. I float slices of lemon in my water glass, add squirts of lemon juice to my vegetables, and zest lemon peel into everything from my breakfast pancakes to my dinnertime risotto. It borders on obsessive, the way I go through lemons at this time of year.

    Lemon-Ginger Scones

    I think it's because my brain sees lemon as a wake-up call for my slumbering tastebuds, still lying dormant after months of soothing comfort food - winter food is like a snuggly pair of flannel pyjamas, where lemon's blast of tart freshness is a bugle sounding reveille, a clarion call that rips away the blankets and drags those groggy tastebuds kicking and screaming into a new day.

    That's why I made these lemon ginger scones. They're a surefire cure for the winter blahs, what with the generous quantities of fresh lemon and spicy ginger I grated into my standard scone recipe, plus a little buttermilk to make them extra-moist and tangy. I couldn't resist using a blossom-shaped cookie cutter to match my spring-ish mood, but a regular round cutter will do just as well.

    Lemon-Ginger Scones

    These would be perfect for another one of my springtime rituals - an elegant afternoon tea. All they need is a pot of lemon-scented black tea, and bowls of tart Meyer lemon curd and thick Greek yogurt as tangy alternatives to the traditional clotted cream. If that doesn't finally put my lemon craving to rest for another year, I don't know what will.

    //

    4.0 from 1 reviews
    Lemon Ginger Scones
     
    Print
    Prep time
    15 mins
    Cook time
    30 mins
    Total time
    45 mins
     
    Brighten your morning with tender scones are loaded with lemon and ginger. Serve with a dollop of tangy lemon curd for an extra-lemony treat.
    Author: Isabelle Boucher (https://www.crumbblog.com)
    Serves: 8
    Ingredients
    • 2¾ cups flour
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
    • 2 tbsp lemon zest (~2 lemons)
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ cup cold butter
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • ¼ cup heavy cream (reserve 1 tbsp)
    • 3 tbsp turbinado sugar
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, fresh ginger, lemon zest, baking powder, ground ginger and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the cold butter, working until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and cream, reserving 1 tbsp of cream for later, and stir until just barely combined.
    3. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface generously dusted with flour, and gently knead 5-6 times. Pat into a rough circle, then use a rolling pin to roll out to around 1" thick. Cut out scones using a 2" round or flower-shaped cutter, gathering up the scraps and re-rolling until you have 8 scones.
    4. Arrange scones on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them ½" apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tbsp cream, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
    5. Bake scones in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
    Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
    3.2.1311

     

    « Saag and Dance - Saag Paneer
    Eat, Write, Retreat 2011 - A Recap (and a Treat for You!) »
    114 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shari says

      July 3, 2018 at 3:34 am

      I searched and searched for just a ginger scone recipe that didn't have crystallized ginger. This was the closest I came, and it was really good! I omitted the lemon zest because I was short on time, and the person I was making these for emphasized the ginger flavor, so I figured they wouldn't miss the lemon. I also omitted the heavy cream, because based on my baking experience, it didn't seem necessary. I feel like that was the right choice, and everyone said how good these were, and that they were the perfect texture for a scone. I made them in my food processor (dry ingredients first, then butter frozen, chopped into pieces, then buttermilk with the fresh ginger). I served them with peach jam. The dough itself was really wet, but baked up perfectly. Thanks for a stellar recipe I will be making again!

      Reply
    2. Rinn says

      June 16, 2011 at 4:05 pm

      Simply delicious! I'm going to bake them again for my cup of tea tea party, fun for a really good cause!

      Reply
    3. Rinn says

      June 16, 2011 at 3:54 pm

      Simply delicious! They were such a hit, I need to make more next time. The Cup of Tea Campaign you mentioned sounds like a really great cause, i'm definitely going to host a tea party!

      Reply
    4. Joy says

      May 24, 2011 at 9:02 pm

      The scones looks great.

      Reply
    5. Lynn @ I'll Have What She's Having says

      May 24, 2011 at 6:04 pm

      I've been in a lemon mood lately too, it's just so fresh and vibrant. Your scones look amazing, I love the pretty shape! I'd like one with a big spoon of lemon curd please!

      Reply
    6. Melissa Jones says

      May 23, 2011 at 8:19 pm

      YES, lemons! I am lucky enough to have a girlfriend in my building who has a meyer lemon tree in her apartment. (Crazy, right?!) I snatch them whenever I can! And scones...oh, so lovely!

      Reply
    7. Lavender Blue Wines says

      May 23, 2011 at 5:23 pm

      YUM, I love anything lemon-flavored as well. Can't wait to try!

      Reply
    8. Jean @ Lemons and Anchovies says

      May 23, 2011 at 3:10 pm

      How can anyone not love lemons, right? :-) They've just got that sunny quality and add a fresh burst to just about everything. These scones are so beautiful, love the flower shape you used. I bet these were delightful with both lemon and ginger, another current obsession of mine.

      Reply
    9. Greg says

      May 23, 2011 at 2:06 pm

      Those are simply delightful! Love this recipe.

      Reply
    10. chefpandita.com says

      May 23, 2011 at 12:16 pm

      These scones are so cute :) I bet they are pretty tasty, I love lemon and ginger <3

      Reply
    11. Jeannie says

      May 21, 2011 at 7:34 am

      Looks wonderful! I love the lemon and ginger flavors combination!

      Reply
    12. alyce says

      May 20, 2011 at 1:00 pm

      Wish I had some now with a cup of tea!

      Reply
    13. Pretend Chef says

      May 19, 2011 at 9:51 am

      Just recently citrus has been making me giddy. Especially limes. These lemon scones sound amazing and would be perfect with a cup of tea. Yummy!

      Reply
    14. kita says

      May 18, 2011 at 7:44 pm

      Don't judge - but until recently, lemon wasn't a flavor I thought I loved. It took a few lemon flavored requests to break that for me and now Im in heaven and keeping a bag in the pantry at all times. These scones sound great and I can't wait to test my lemon loving limits with them. :D

      Reply
    15. Tiffany says

      May 18, 2011 at 6:07 pm

      I love the combo of lemon and ginger! I often make lemon-ginger tea... a scone sounds wonderful!

      Reply
    16. Russell at Chasing Delicious says

      May 18, 2011 at 3:30 pm

      These cookies look devine! I share your love to lemon too. It is such a fresh, perfect spring-treat, in whatever form.

      Great shots too! I'm going to have to try this recipe.

      Reply
    17. Ruth says

      May 18, 2011 at 1:28 pm

      I love the flower shapes! The recipe sounds like a winner!

      Reply
    18. Celia says

      May 18, 2011 at 1:22 pm

      I always go nuts for lemons in spring as well. And I'm always up for ginger. These are so pretty - and good luck with your charity efforts!

      Reply
    19. [email protected] says

      May 18, 2011 at 1:20 pm

      I know exactly what you mean about lemon and spring. I think it's the bright yellow and the zing. It instantly cheers up a dish or a room!

      Reply
    20. Isabelle says

      May 18, 2011 at 1:15 pm

      Thanks for the nice comments, everyone! Glad to hear I'm not the only lemon addict around. :)

      Amanda: Good catch! :) That is indeed lemon curd in the photo. I'm still tweaking my recipe to get the proportions right... the one in the photo was a little too buttery and not as tangy as I'd like. I'll post it as soon as I've worked out the kinks, though!

      Reply
    21. Rochelle says

      May 18, 2011 at 1:03 pm

      Lemons are one of my favorites! I always think about them when spring rolls around and this year there are an over abundance of them for me to play with (we have a tree here :D). I'll have to make your scones with them just so I can use 'em up.

      Reply
    22. The Cilantropist says

      May 18, 2011 at 12:30 pm

      I adore the combination of lemon and ginger, and these scones are too adorable cut in the shapes of flowers - definitely a good choice that is perfect for springtime. In the first photo, are you spreading lemon curd on them? Which recipe do you like? I have a favorite, but always looking to try new ones. :)

      Reply
    23. RavieNomNoms says

      May 18, 2011 at 11:55 am

      I couldn't agree more. Lemons scream spring to me! They are so fresh.

      These scones are fantastic! Nicely done!

      Reply
    24. Christie says

      May 18, 2011 at 11:19 am

      Ummm... YUMM! I was wondering what to do with some leftover buttermilk that I have... now I know!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe:  

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Looking for Something?...

    Archives

    Categories

    All images and content Copyright © 2023 Isabelle Boucher | Crumb: A Food Blog · Privacy Policy