if you know me, you know i used to be a muffin person. i made them 4 times a week (or more) and loved to share them with my family and friends. well, i’ve moved on to something that used to intimidate me: scones. i’ve tried a few different flavors and variations, and have finally crafted a recipe that i love. not only that, but whenever i share them, there is a wave of sweet silence followed by a wave of smiles/praise/excitement. the recipe is being requested left and right, so here it is. you MUST use the food processor, trust me!

courtney’s lemon scones:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar (plus more for sprinkling on top)

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

zest of 2 lemons

juice of 1 lemon

some buttermilk or regular milk with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar added

1 egg yolk

directions: IN A FOOD PROCESSOR, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. add butter and pulse to blend. in a measuring cup, add lemon zest and juice. if using regular milk, add vinegar now. add milk to lemon mixture until the liquid measures 3/4 cup. add egg yolk. with processor running, add lemon/milk/yolk mixture until liquid is evenly distributed into dry mixture. the dough should be very moist and sticky. drop all dough onto a well floured surface and WITHOUT kneading or folding, gently pat into a circle 2 inches thick. sprinkle the top with sugar and cut into 8 even wedges. place on a greased baking sheet and put into oven at 400 degrees. the baking time varies a lot, but you can start with 14 minutes and keep checking. it may take up to 2o minutes, depending on the oven.

let cool as long as you can stand to…then enjoy!