Fresh basil and lemon zest add welcome zing to these delightful scones.
Gluten-free Lemon-Basil Scones
Serves: 9 to 11 scones
While these tasty scones get their flavor from freshly zested lemon and finely chopped fresh basil, dried options of these two ingredients can be used instead but should be reduced to one-third of the fresh amount required.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour*
- ¼ cup castor sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in basil and lemon zest.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold cream and egg. Add cream mixture to flour mixture, stirring until a dough begins to form. Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms. (If dough won’t come together, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.)
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured* surface, and knead gently by patting dough and folding it in half until smooth, 3 to 5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter dipped in flour*, cut as many scones as possible from dough without twisting cutter, rerolling scraps as needed. Place scones on prepared baking sheet.
- Brush tops of scones with remaining 1 tablespoon cream.
- Bake until edges of scones are golden brown, 22 to 27 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*We used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
