Recipe: Fast and Fancy Lemon Biscuits

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterCulinary Producer at The Kitchn
I'm a recipe developer, food writer, stylist, and video producer, with more than 10 years of professional experience. As an expert meal planner and avid home cook who loves grocery shopping and helping people figure out what to cook for dinner, I'm a natural fit as The Kitchn’s Dinner Therapist. Since graduating from The University of Scranton and The French Culinary Institute, I've authored three cookbooks: Buddha Bowls, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, and The Probiotic Kitchen. My kitchen superpower is turning a random assortment of ingredients into easy, delicious dinners that even my young son will eat.
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updated Jan 31, 2020
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Credit: Joe Lingeman
With a touch of sunny citrus and coarse sugar, these pillowy lemon biscuits skew slightly sweet, feel instantly fancy, and come together in a single bowl.

Makesabout 8 (2-inch) biscuits

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

This play on classic cream biscuits gets a fresh upgrade with help from sunny citrus and a finishing touch of coarse sugar. They skew slightly sweet, making for tender, pillowy biscuits that instantly feel a little bit more fancy. I love them with a spread of jam in the morning, or piled high with fruit and cream for dessert.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

A Fast and Fancy Twist for Cream Biscuits

Of all the biscuit variations out there (and there are a lot), cream biscuits are my absolute favorite. To me, these simple, one-bowl biscuits really give you the most bang for your buck. They’re mixed together with just a handful of basic ingredients, following a process that couldn’t be easier, and deliver a rich biscuit with a crisp outside and soft, tender center. I’ve used them on everything from pot pies to shortcakes, and now I’m giving them a sweet, sunny twist with lots of lemon.

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Fast and Fancy Lemon Biscuits

With a touch of sunny citrus and coarse sugar, these pillowy lemon biscuits skew slightly sweet, feel instantly fancy, and come together in a single bowl.

Makes about 8 (2-inch) biscuits

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 cups

    all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon

    granulated sugar

  • 2 teaspoons

    baking powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    salt

  • 2 tablespoons

    finely grated fresh lemon zest (from about 2 large lemons)

  • 1 1/2 cups

    plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy cream, divided

  • 1 tablespoon

    freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons

    demarara sugar

Instructions

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

  2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the lemon zest and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingers. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the cream and lemon juice, and stir until the dough is shaggy. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface.

  3. With floured hands, pat the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits, starting at the outside edge and cutting them as close together as possible. The scraps may be combined to make additional biscuits, although they will be tougher.

  4. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 1 tablespoon cream, then sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

  5. Bake until golden-brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

  • Make ahead: The biscuits can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature.
  • Storage: Leftover biscuits can be covered and stored at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
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baked goods
Baking
Bread
Breakfast
children
dinner