Lemon Poppyseed Buttermilk Scones with homemade lemon curd and clotted cream

A perfect morning treat to make for viewing the Royal Wedding on Saturday! These easy to make scones are ready in minutes- warm, fresh out of the oven softness. Serve with easy to make lemon curd and clotted cream—an English staple—which can be found in the Best of Britain section of Pete’s.

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Makes: 16 scones & 500 ml lemon curd

Ingredients:

Scones

• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 4 cups flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Lemon Curd
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tsp grated fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup salted butter, cubed small
• 170g jar clotted cream, The Devon Cream Company

Instructions:

Using a box grater on the finest side, zest lemon peel until you have 2 1/2 tbsp (for scones) and 3 tsp (for curd.) Then juice the lemons until you have 1/4 cup (for scones) and 1/2 cup (for curd), and set aside.

For curd: in a small saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and eggs. Place over low heat and slowly add pieces of butter, whisking continuously. The curd will begin to thicken, (keep the heat low, so you don’t overcook the egg and end up with a scramble). Keep whisking and adding the butter until it is melted and bubbles appear in the mixture. The consistency should thickly coat a spoon. Remove from heat as soon as it has thickened, place in a bowl, or mason jar and refrigerate for an hour before serving. The curd will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.

For scones: In a small bowl combine sugar and lemon zest, massage together with fingertips to release the oils, until the sugar feels moist. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds, sugar and zest mixture. In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together butter, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk mixture into the middle of the well. With a wooden spoon, stir the scone dough until in forms a ball and all the ingredients are well combined.

Place the dough on a well-floured surface and knead it 10-15 times with well-floured hands. Shape it into a ball and then cut it into two equal parts and shape these into balls. Dust a rolling pin with flour, roll out the two portions of scone dough into 8ish rounds. Cut these like you would a pizza, into 6 or 8 parts, and place onto a large parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes. Once the scones are done baking, place on cooling rack, then serve soon after, with a thick smear of clotted cream and a large spoonful of lemon curd. Enjoy!

Recipe created by Jess Emin