Make Zesty And Refreshing Lemon Scones With Only 3 Ingredients

Scones (like our lemon blueberry scones recipe) are one of those desserts that we love buying at a coffee shop but often shy away from making at home. It's not that we don't want to sink our teeth into flaky, buttery pastries that are fresh out of the oven, but tons of ingredients can often push these types of recipes to the bottom of our wish list. Luckily, there's a much easier way: Whip up three-ingredient scones that'll taste like refreshing summer lemonade in pastry form.

Here's what you'll need: self-rising flour, lemonade or a lemon-flavored soda, and heavy cream. There's one specification you'll want to make sure to follow, however — the lemon beverage you use must be fizzy. While the baking powder in the self-rising flour is mostly what will help your pastries rise in the oven, the carbonation in the drink assists a little as well. Plus, it's crucial here for creating a light, fluffy consistency, which is why you sometimes see sodas like Dr. Pepper used in recipes for brownies. The lemony beverage won't overwhelm the scones with its flavor but it will provide a touch of sweet and citrusy notes.

If you're in the U.S., the easiest lemon-flavored sodas to opt for are Sprite, 7UP, and Starry. You can find our complete ranking of lemon-lime fizzy beverages here to get some more ideas, but you'll want to stay away from the sugar-free ones. Before you get started, make sure your heavy cream is nice and cold and that you're following a 3:1:1 ratio for the flour, soda, and cream. Next, simply mix all of the ingredients just until everything is combined, then shape the resulting dough with floured hands on a floured surface. You can either use a specific scone cutter to make circles, or simply cut your slab of dough into squares or triangles. Toss them in the oven on a lined baking sheet at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they're golden-brown on top.

If you want to switch up the three core ingredients, you can sub out the lemon-lime soda for prosecco or another sparkling wine, although this will adjust the flavor a bit. You can also experiment with sour cream in place of heavy cream for a tangier end result. And if you don't mind adding elements in, brush the tops of your scones with milk before placing them in the oven for extra color, and make a yummy lemon glaze to drizzle on top with more lemon zest. Otherwise, serve them with butter, berry jam, lemon curd, or clotted cream.