Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Scones
Light and fluffy scones, enriched with creamy mascarpone cheese and spiked with bright Meyer lemon.
This can be a tough time of year for a dessert blogger.
Everyone’s all into their New Year’s resolutions, their fitness, their detox cleanses. At the very least, we’re sick to death of fatty, sweet carbs. Myself included!
But for some reason, breakfast seems to be the last holdout for the sweet tooth. Maybe because we can justify it in our minds, that we need the carbs to power us through our high-intensity workouts.
Whatever the case may be, these scones are worth the extra 10 minutes on the treadmill. They are light as air, but with that melt-on-your-tongue creaminess only mascarpone can offer. And the mouth-puckering tartness from the Meyer lemons cuts right through it all, with a clean brightness that somehow feels virtuous.
If you aren’t familiar with Meyer lemons, they are a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin orange.
So, they have the look of a lemon…
But they are less sour. The flavor is a little more floral, and a little sweeter. You may never wish to bite into the flesh of a fresh lemon, but a Meyer lemon is much more palatable.
These scones utilize both the zest and the flesh of the fruit. You’ll just want to cut away the bitter pith.
The less you handle the scone dough, the better. Much like pie crust, a scone should go into a hot oven, and the dough should be as cold as possible. It will look very lumpy.
A fat pinch of clear sparkling sugar gives them some added sweetness and crunch, and makes for an elegant adornment.
Meyer lemons are at the peak of their season right now, so be sure to snatch them up when you see them at your local market. You are going to love the way their bright flavor plays against the rich butteriness of the creamy mascarpone cheese.
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Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Scones
Ingredients
- 3 Meyer lemons
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar,, divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (56.25 g) mascarpone cheese,, cold
- 4 tablespoons (59.15 g) unsalted butter, (half a stick), cold
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) milk, (I used lowfat)
- clear sparkling sugar, , for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Zest 2 of the lemons and set the zest aside.
- Cut the remaining peel and pith away from the lemons, and dice the flesh into ¼” pieces.
- Place in a small bowl, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar, stir to coat, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt, and reserved lemon zest, and stir to combine.
- Cut in the mascarpone and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add the lemons and milk, and stir until just barely combined.
- Gather the dough into a ball, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and press to a thickness of about 1 inch.
- Cut the scones into 6 equal wedges, and space them approx. 1 inch apart.
- Sprinkle with clear sparkling sugar.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until slightly golden on the tops and around the edges.
Oh wow these look amazing and just in time for Meyer Lemons popping up in the stores too. My mother would love these!
You say three Meyer lemons in the ingredient list but only mention zesting/segmenting 2 of them. How is the 3rd lemon used?
I mention zesting 2 of them, but all three should be diced and added to the dough. This is noted in step #3 of the recipe directions.
I cannot wait to try these! I love the idea of using marscapone in a scone! This flavor combo will be so perfect for springtime!
Yay! I hope you love the scones Kim! This is the perfect time of year to enjoy Meyer lemons.