The best scone you’ll ever eat!
Last spring I decided to throw a modern tea party for a group of my closest girlfriends.
We really weren’t celebrating anything specific. It was more about sitting outside in the sunshine, enjoying the flowers blooming and the sound of the birds chirping.
Most importantly, enjoying quality time with each other. We all know how busy life gets. Sometimes, I have to be intentional about slowing down and really enjoying spring.
So anyway, I decided to whip up these incredibly easy lavender scones to treat my girls.
Instead of the traditional vanilla icing, I went with a drizzle of elderberry icing instead. I mean… I am Elderberry Queen, so it fits, right?!
Don’t worry, my friends expect elderberry of some sort to pop up when they’re around me. Thankfully, they love that part of me. That’s a rare find, so I guess I’ll keep them around (haha, just joking guys).
These lavender scones were a huge hit, and they’re still being requested at any get-together we have.
So basically… this is the only scone recipe you’ll ever need or want to eat.
Why You’ll LOVE These Scones
These lavender scones are soft, flaky and filled with bright lemon zest.
They’re lightly flavored with lavender and sweetened with vibrant elderberry icing.
I’m sorry if you associate scones with being bready and dry. That’s not what the scone experience is meant to be, and it’s definitely not the case with these.
They’re crumbly on the edges but still moist and soft on the inside.
Pure perfection! 💜
Out of all the baked goods out there (waffles, muffins, pancakes, cookies), these have to be my absolute favorite.
All day, every day — I vote for SCONES!
- Super simple — Seriously. I know they sound fancy and seem intimidating to make but they aren’t. This recipe is quick and easy!
- Shape how you want — Go triangular with a scone pan, circular with a biscuit cutter or just do the drop technique. You pick the look!
- Immune-boosting — Yup, you read that right. These scones are drizzled with an immune-boosting elderberry icing, yum.
- Personal Touch — They add the perfect touch to special occasions, celebrations and even breakfast in bed.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour — easily substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour, it works wonderfully. Set aside extra for your counter and hands as you shape your scones
- Sugar — I like to use maple sugar, but regular sugar works too. We’re not using much
- Salt — adds some flavor
- Baking powder — adds some lift
- Lemon zest — adds even more flavor
- Culinary lavender — make sure it’s dried culinary lavender
- Butter — this helps the dough to rise and gives those edges that perfect crispiness
- Heavy cream — buttermilk will work too
- Eggs — adds structure and a little lift as well
- Vanilla extract — hello again flavor
- Organic elderberry syrup — the perfect sweetness to our icing
- Powdered sugar — I also prefer powdered maple sugar but regular works as well, this is the base of our icing
What Is Culinary Lavender?
It’s important to understand that there are several different types of lavender.
Some are not the best for cooking, and others are great for it.
Not only is it about the type of lavender, but it’s also about the process it undergoes.
There’s an optimal time to harvest lavender when using it for culinary purposes. It needs to go through a specific drying and cleaning process. This ensures leaves and bits of stems are removed.
I buy the brand Anthony's French Lavender (imported from France) off Amazon.
Their culinary lavender is organic and inexpensive. Plus, this bag will last you quite some time.
My Secret for Perfect Scones
Want to know the difference between a so-so scone and an oh-my-word this is an incredible scone?
It comes down to ONE ingredient.
Grated frozen butter.
Unreal, right?
This one ingredient can make or break your scone recipe. It all comes down to how cold the butter is.
When you cut your butter into your flour, the butter starts to melt. The more melted it is, the less flaky and moist your scones will be. If you’re able to keep those pieces cold even after they’ve been cut in, you will have the most incredibly divine scones you’ve ever eaten.
No joke. I don’t mess around when it comes to my baked goods.
So what do you do?
You grate the butter, then pop it into the freezer right up until you need it in the recipe. It’s important to get those scones in the oven pretty quickly, so don’t let the butter sit out, it's sure to melt.
Ok, I don’t know about you — but I’m hungry. So let’s get baking!
How To Make Lavender Scones & Elderberry Icing
You’ll start with grating your cold butter and popping it in the freezer to stay icy cold.
Then you’ll whisk together your dry ingredients along with lemon zest and lavender.
Next, you’ll add your grated frozen butter and cut it into the flour.
In a separate bowl, you’ll whisk together your wet ingredients and then combine them with your dry ingredients.
After mixing well, you’ll shape them, then brush them with heavy cream, sprinkle with a little maple sugar and pop them in the fridge.
After they’ve chilled for about 30 minutes, those gorgeous scones will head into the oven and bake until golden.
While they’re cooling, it’s time to get started on the elderberry icing.
In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar (I like to use powdered maple sugar but regular is fine too) and heavy whipping cream.
Then, add in organic elderberry syrup and mix until just combined.
Then comes the best part… drizzle with this delicious elderberry icing.
Actually, the best part is eating them. Let’s be real.
Are These Scones Freezer Friendly?
You bet they are.
You can actually choose to freeze them before baking or after. Both ways work fantastically.
Before baking — Skip brushing them with heavy cream. Just plastic wrap each dough wedge separately and place them in a ziplock bag. Thaw before baking or bake frozen (it’ll take about 5-7 minutes longer).
After baking — Make sure the icing is completely hardened, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Set out for about 2 hours to completely soften.
These Simple Lavender Scones Topped With Elderberry Icing are simply divine. They're warm, soft, lavender-infused and topped with a sweet elderberry delight.
Just give this recipe a try, you'll see how delicious they really are.
