Description
These cherry scones have a tender crumb that melts in the mouth and a crispy and sugary exterior. The cherries’ flavor and natural sweetness are intensified once baked but the pieces of fruits remain plump and juicy!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 115 g butter, fridge-cold (1 stick)
- 210 g cherries (1 ½ cups)
- 375 g all-purpose flour (2 ⅔ cups)
- 11 g baking powder (1 tbsp)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ cup), or use caster sugar
- 1 egg, fridge-cold
- 180 ml heavy cream, fridge-cold (¾ cup)
- 2 tsp almond extract, or use vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 2 tsp granulated sugar, divided
- 4 tbsp flaked or sliced almonds
Instructions
- Prepare the butter and the cherries. Grate the butter using the largest circular shredding holes of a box grater. Quickly place the grated butter on a plate and put it in the freezer (or the fridge if you don’t have a freezer). The butter needs to be really cold and firm before making the dough. Pit the cherries and roughly chop them. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels and cover them with another layer of paper towels. The goal is to absorb as much juice as possible so that the cherries won’t bleed too much while being incorporated into the dough.
- Make the dough. Place the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Beat the egg in a separate medium bowl. Pour 2 tbsp of the beaten egg into a small cup and set it aside. You’ll use that to glaze the scone. Add the cream and almond extract (if using) to the medium-sized bowl containing most of the beaten egg. Whisk the wet ingredients together until combined. Add the grated butter to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Use a knife to scrape the plate if some of the shredded bits of butter are stuck. Use your hands to toss the pieces of butter around, break them apart and coat them with flour. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Slowly drizzle the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, tossing with the blade of a knife until almost everything appears hydrated. There should still be some dry spots. Add the chopped cherries and fold them into the dough with a rubber spatula. Don’t overwork the dough; otherwise the scones might turn out tough. Fold until the dough begins to come together and the cherries are evenly distributed throughout. If the dough is too dry and does not come together, add 1 to 2 more tbsp of cream.
- Shape the scones. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and flour the top. Pat and press the dough into a 4 cm (1 ½-inch) thick disc that is about 15 cm (6-inch) wide. If the dough is too sticky, flour your hands and the surface lightly as you work. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash you prepared earlier. Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar over the top, followed by the almonds and then the remaining 1 tsp of sugar. Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut with sharp up-and-down movements into 8 wedges. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the scones, one by one, to the sheet using a spatula, spacing them evenly.
- Bake. Place the sheet in the freezer for 15 min (if you don’t have a freezer, put it in the refrigerator for 30 min). In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Bake the scones until lightly browned on top and the bottoms are golden brown, about 25 min. Remove from the oven and let the cherry scones cool down on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Serve just warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Cherry scones are best on the day they are made. If you have leftovers, cover them and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. They will soften over time. Rewarm slightly in a 175°C (300°F) oven before serving.
You can swap the cherries for any other fruit you have on hand. For example, you could use the same amount of banana or peach cut into small chunks, cubed apple or pear, whole blueberries or raspberries, roughly chopped stoned apricots, or strawberries. Once you’ve sliced/chopped/cut up your desired fruits, put them on a plate lined with paper towels and cover them with another layer of paper towels. It’s important to absorb as much juice as possible so that they won’t bleed too much while being folded into the dough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 459
Keywords: easy breakfast baked goods, cherries recipes, desserts that go well with coffee