Cream scones get enlivened by lime zest and dried pineapple. They’re easy to assemble and taste great slathered with marmalade.

Game plan: We keep a few sticks of butter in the freezer for whenever the urge for perfectly light biscuits or scones sets in.

  • Yield: 12 scones
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 35 mins 
  • Active: 15 mins

Ingredients (12)

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lime
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup minced dried pineapple
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), frozen
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, from 1 lime
  • Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 450°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, lime zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a wire whisk to break up any lumps. Mix in dried pineapple; set aside.
  2. Grate butter through the large holes in a box grater onto a cutting board or a piece of parchment paper, and toss with dry ingredients until well combined.3In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup cream and egg; stir in lime juice. Pour cream mixture over dry ingredients, and stir just until dough comes together (it will be lumpy).
  3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, with lightly floured hands, knead for about 2 minutes, then pat down into a circle. Use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Dip a 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter in a little flour, and stamp out as many scones as possible. Reroll dough and continue stamping until you have a total of 12 scones.
  4. Place scones at least 1/2 inch from each other on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops of scones with remaining 1 tablespoon cream, sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until tops are golden and flecked with brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove scones to a wire rack to cool.