Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with a silpat baking mat or parchment paper.
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, and butter. Pulse until coarse crumbs are formed.
2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon, zested, ½ tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup butter
In lieu of a food processor, you can mix these ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, using a pastry blender or two knives held together.
Add the milk and fold gently to blend. Do not overmix.
1 cup milk
Drop the batter in small mounds on the prepared baking sheet. You should get 15 to 18 scones from the mixture. (You can flash freeze the scones at this point if you like. Once they are hard remove from the pan and store in a freezer bag in the freezer. Bake from frozen, increasing the baking time by about five to ten minutes.)
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and baked through. Cool on a rack while you prepare the glaze. (You can also freeze the scones at this stage, unglazed. Place in a bag in the freezer. Thaw and then glaze after thawing.)
In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Drizzle this mixture over the cooled scones and allow to set.
½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 lemon, zested
Notes
Make sure to use cold butter and milk. You want the ingredients cold, just like when you make pie crust. You want the butter to remain a solid, and only melt once in the oven. If you accomplish this, then the butter will melt, and the water inside creates steam causing the layers of flour to push apart creating a flaky tender scone.
Do not overwork the dough. If you are using a food processor, be careful to not work the butter in completely. You want to still see visible pieces of butter.
Fresh is best. Nothing beats fresh lemon juice and zest in these scones for the best lemon flavor!
Make ahead: If you freeze them prior to baking, you don’t have to thaw them at baking time; just slide the frozen scones into the hot oven and add a few minutes to the baking time. If you bake them first and then cool and freeze, you can very easily thaw them overnight on the counter so they’re ready when you are.
Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1 scone.