Mother’s Day Recipe: Lemon Scone Breakfast Cookies with Quick Strawberry Jam

When I used to work as a professional baker quite a few years back, one of my favorite breakfasts after a night of baking up buttery croissants and rustic baguettes was a freshly baked orange-currant scone. Warm and tender, it was perfection: crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside.

So, when it comes to what I like to bake for my family, scones often win. They are not only delicious, but super quick and easy to make, particularly if you use the food processor. (They are also a great way to get your kids involved in the kitchen.)

If you know me at all, I’m a sucker for anything that contains lemon, and so this is one of my favorite recipes for scones. Tender and buttery, almost like a sweet American-style biscuit or a cakey, tender cookie—these scones are not the dense, dry wedges you might find sharing the same moniker.

You can serve these on their own, with a little butter or clotted cream, or if you really want to do them justice, a big heaping dollop of homemade, succulent strawberry jam. Strawberries are in season right now, so be sure to choose flavorful, fragrant berries. With just a hint of lemon, the jam really highlights the subtle lemon flavor of the scones.

Recipe: Lemon Scone Breakfast Cookies with Quick Strawberry Jam

Makes 10–12 scones and 1 heaping cup jam

Ingredients:

Strawberry jam

• 1/2 lb fresh ripe strawberries, hulled, quartered, and sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Lemon scones

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1. 1. To make the jam: Place a small saucer in the freezer to chill. In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the berries become very tender and the juices thicken, about 10 minutes.

1. 1. To test if the jam is ready, remove the chilled saucer from the freezer. Spoon a little jam onto the saucer and let stand for 15 seconds. If the liquid thickens to a jam-like consistency, it’s ready. If not, continue to cook for another minute or two.
   2. To store the jam, let cool completely. Transfer to a clean airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
   3. To make the scones: Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and lemon zest and pulse briefly to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and lemon juice until blended. Pour the egg mixture into the processor and pulse just until the dough comes together.

1. 1. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using your hands, press out the dough to ½ inch thick. Using a 3-inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out as many scones as you can. Gather the scraps, mash them together once more, and cut out as many scones as you can. Discard any remaining scraps.

1. 1. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Bake the scones until golden, about 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving with plenty of the strawberry jam.