Feeling tropical? Treat yourself to the taste of an island vacation, delivered in the form of tender, buttery scones. Toasted coconut adds nutty sweetness while zesty lime adds a punch of flavor. What more could you want?
To make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, toasted coconut, and zest.
Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and coconut milk or milk. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Using a bowl scraper or a large spoon, stir the mixture until everything is moistened and holds together. If some dry spots remain, add additional coconut milk or milk by the tablespoonful until the dough comes together.
Sprinkle a bit of flour onto an ungreased baking sheet, or line the sheet with parchment and sprinkle flour atop the parchment.
To shape the scones: Scrape the dough onto the floured pan (or parchment), and divide it in half. Shape each half into a circle about 5" in diameter and about 3/4" thick.
Run a knife or bench knife under cold water and slice each circle into six wedges.
Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them at their outer edges.
For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Chilling the scones relaxes the gluten in the flour, which makes them more tender and allows them to rise higher. It also chills the fat, which will make the scones a bit flakier.
While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third.
To bake the scones: Bake the scones in the upper part of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they're a light golden brown. When you pull one away from the others it should look baked all the way through; the interior shouldn't look wet or unbaked.
Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan while you prepare the glaze.
To make the glaze: Combine the confectioners' sugar and coconut milk or milk. Add more milk if needed to make a spreadable consistency. Spread or drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm scones and serve.
Storage information: Store leftover scones, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze unglazed scones for longer storage.
Why the range in milk? Flour is like a sponge; it absorbs liquid during humid weather, and dries out in dry weather. In summer or when it's hot and humid, use the lesser amount of milk in this recipe; during winter, or when it's very dry, use the greater amount. Either way, start with the smaller amount, and drizzle it in until the dough is the correct consistency.
Want to make scones well ahead of time? Simple. After the unbaked scones' 30 minutes in the freezer (or whenever they're frozen solid), place them in a zip-top plastic bag. Return to the freezer, and store for up to a month. Bake as directed (without thawing), adding a couple of extra minutes in the oven if needed.
To make free-form (a.k.a. drop scones) rather than wedge-shaped scones, increase the milk to 3/4 cup (171g). Using a large ice cream scoop or spoon, dollop the scone dough in 1/3-cupfuls onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the scones in a preheated 375°F oven for about 30 minutes.
Step up your scone baking game by checking out the tips and techniques in our Scone Baking Guide. It has everything you need to know — from details on shaping to add-ins to glazes and more — to make scones like a pro.
