Lemon Scones

Even the most adventurous cook can give birth to a finicky eater. One of our own, under the influence of her peers at JCC Manhattan’s Day Camp at Pearl River, buckled down and tasted these scones, which were a new food for her. The rest is history—she loved them. While most would not be daunted by the prospect of a scone, this was her particular challenge and she met it. It’s so true that kids will often try new things when they are away from their parents, and camp is a great opportunity for experimenting on many levels. We like to serve the scones with 1 cup Homemade Ricotta (here) mixed with 1 tablespoon honey and 2 teaspoons lemon zest.

MAKES 12 TO 16 SCONES

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the scones

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Grated zest of 2 lemons

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

¼ to ⅓ cup sugar

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat milk

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest and mix well.

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or rub it in with your fingers, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add sugar to taste and toss to mix. Add 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the ½ cup milk and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightly flour a work surface, turn the dough onto it, and knead until it comes together, 10 to 12 times. Do not overwork it.

For triangular scones, halve the dough, knead each half lightly into a ball. Pat or roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. Cut each circle into 6 or 8 wedges. For round scones, roll all the dough to a thickness of about 1½ inches and cut out circles with a 2-inch round cutter. Reroll the dough scraps and repeat.

Transfer the wedges or circles to the baking sheet, setting them slightly apart. Bake until the edges of the scones are beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice with the confectioners’ sugar to create a glaze. When the scones are done, move to a rack, drizzle the glaze over them, and allow to cool.