Lemon and Poppy Seed Scones

I LOVE scones, especially the cheese ones topped with cream cheese and onion chutney from our local café, Jacarandas! But when it comes to sweet scones, I hate sultanas, currants, raisins etc… and although plain scones are nice, they do get a bit boring! So, when I found this recipe for lemon and poppy seed ones, I couldn’t wait to give them a go. This is another recipe from JohnWhaite Bakes, and they’re great with clotted cream and lemon curd for an indulgent treat, but are just as good with butter as a quick snack too.

Ingredients:
100g natural yoghurt
120ml milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
250g self raising flour
250g strong white bread flour
10g baking powder
100g caster sugar
125g butter
50g poppy seeds
Zest of 2 lemons
2 large eggs
1 egg (beaten for glazing)

First, pre-heat your oven to 220c and grease/line your baking trays.
In a small bowl, mix together the yoghurt, milk and lemon juice and leave to one side.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder and sugar. Cube the butter and rub into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the poppy seeds and zest and work into the breadcrumbs until they are spread evenly through the mix.
Next, add the eggs to the flour mix, and mix with your hand to form sticky breadcrumbs. Now add the yoghurt mix to the bowl, a little at a time, and continue to mix with your hand until the mixture forms a soft bread dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and work to the dough for about 30 seconds, pushing it together, before flattening it out into a disc about 1.5cms thick.
Use a cookie cutter to cut out your scones, re-working and flattening the left over dough until it’s all been used. It should make about 12-15 scones in all, depending on the size of your cutter.
Place the scones onto your baking trays, and glaze the tops with beaten egg before baking for 13-15 minutes, until they have turned golden and sound hollow when tapped on the base.