Crumbly and tender, these cherry scones have dark chocolate chips and come together in 40 minutes. They can be frozen and baked to order, so you eat warm, out-of-the-oven scones every time!
Unique scones
Scone recipes are a growing category in this blog. They're one of my favorite things to bake. And to eat.
There's a story involving my Irish great-grandmother and her scones and how the best buttermilk scones came to be, but I won't bother you with it now.
I will say that cherry pieces and chocolate chunks in a tender, not-too-sweet scone dough is worth making. They're a cross between breakfast and tea-time scones. Or a snack in the afternoon.
It's a beautiful flavor pairing made famous by anything with the words black forest. We have a few in this blog, such as the sophisticated chocolate cherry cream tarts and the quick and easy black forest dump cake.
You can use sweet or sour cherries, one of my favorites. Sour cherry scones with dark chocolate chunks speak for themselves. Add a dollop of whipped cream to these scones, and you got yourself black forest scones.
If you're more into more simple scones, I recommend the buttery chocolate chip scones.
Top tips for scones and biscuits
- Baking powder: it's essential to help the scones rise, so make sure it's not expired.
- Very cold ingredients: I’m not kidding when I say very cold butter. I cut it and put the pieces in the freezer for 5 minutes before using it. And don’t take the liquid ingredients out before you start mixing the scones. They belong in the fridge until you need them.
- Don't work the dough much. It should come together but might still have floury patches. You don’t need to work it until it’s smooth, like pie dough. It is uneven, with dry spots sometimes, and that’s good for flakiness later.
- A rather high oven is necessary: they need that extra heat (and baking powder) to rise. If you happen to forget to turn the oven on before you start mixing, please don’t leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer for the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.
Freezing scones
One of the best parts of making scones is having them frozen (unbaked) until you need them.
Cut and put in a cookie sheet that fits into your freezer.
Freeze in the tray until they're completely solid.
You can then transfer the rock-hard scones to a plastic bag until ready to use or pop the whole tray in a pre-heated 375°F oven. No need to defrost them.
Type of chocolate
This recipe uses semisweet chocolate.
- Chocolate chunks: the chocolate will be more noticeable than if using chips, and we love that. Use store-bought ones, like Nestle chocolate chunks or Barry Callebaut dark chocolate chunks. Or make your own by chopping a chocolate bar like Ghirardelli Premium baking bar. The chunks will be irregular.
- Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip. I love Ghirardelli premium baking chocolate chips, Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers (larger chips, our favorite), and Nestle Toll house semisweet chips.
Variations & substitutions
- Dried cherries: they're a good alternative if fresh cherries are not available.
- Frozen cherries: thaw and drain them first so they don't add too much liquid to the scone dough.
- Chocolate: use white or milk chocolate chips or chunks for a sweeter scone.
- Almond extract: use ¼ teaspoon instead of vanilla extract for a more sophisticated flavor.
- Glaze: you can add a light drizzle of chocolate ganache that will give the scones a strong chocolate flavor. Or a powdered sugar glaze similar to the strawberry glaze but with cherry juice or liqueur.
Related recipes you might like:
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Chocolate Cherry Scones
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Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream, cold
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup butter, cold
- 1 egg, cold
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk, cold
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate, in chunks or chocolate chips
- ½ cup pitted, quartered cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed and lightly drained)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix ½ cup sour cream with ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Reserve.
- In the bowl of a food processor, put 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt and 4 tablespoons sugar. Process a few times to mix.
- Scatter ¼ cup butter, cold and in pieces on top and pulse until they're the size of peas and beans. They will be irregular.
- If making by hand, stir the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Scatter the butter pieces on top and integrate with a pastry cutter or your hands until it's the size of peas and beans. They will be irregular.
- In a small bowl or jar stir 1 egg, 3 tablespoons buttermilk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the sour cream mixture and combine. Don't beat. There will be small lumps of sour cream, and that is fine.
- Pour over the flour and butter mixture and process with a few on/off pulses just until it begins to come together. It's essential that you don't overmix the dough or the scones will be tough. It should be almost integrated with dry patches. Transfer to a large bowl.
- If making by hand, transfer the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a fork until it becomes a shaggy mass. Continue as instructed below.
- Add ½ cup semisweet chocolate and ½ cup pitted, quartered cherries. Lightly mix with a fork to distribute. The cherries will lightly stain the mixture.
- Dump the dough onto the lightly floured work surface and fold it over itself a few times, enough to gather it all together but without kneading. Don't overwork it. It will be irregular and dry in spots.
- Pat the dough into a round about 1 inch thick and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Cut into 8 triangles with a sharp kitchen knife or a pastry cutter. Separate them slightly to allow space to grow during baking.
- Sprinkle with some additional sugar for a crunchier top and a tad bit more sweetness.
- Freeze the whole sheet for 10 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes if you don't have space.
- Bake for 10 minutes and turn down the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Bake for 10-15 more minutes until golden brown and dry. It will depend on the thickness of the scones. If in doubt, carefully lift the top and check that the crumb is dry and fully baked.
- Let cool on a wire rack until warm enough to eat. Or eat at room temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for a day at room temperature, in the fridge for 4 days or for a month in the freezer. Rewarm slightly before eating.
Notes
Very cold ingredients. I measure but leave the ingredients in the fridge until it's time to use them. Don't take the cream for half an hour before mixing the scones. Butter, milk cream and other wet ingredients belong in the fridge until you need to scatter and pour them.
Handle the dough lightly. Don't overwork the dough. It needs to remain cold so the butter doesn't start to melt. It's the way to get soft, tender scones that rise well.
A rather high oven.They need that extra heat to rise however they can despite all that butter and cream. And if you forgot to turn the oven on before you start mixing, please don't leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer for the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.
Adapted from Ann Pillsbury's Baking Book, 1950 edition
Teni says
Hi I love chocolate and sour cherry scones, can I ask when would you add chocolate chunks and sour cherries to the mixture and also are the cherries fresh or dried. Many thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Teni, they are added after the wet ingredients. The cherries can be fresh or frozen. But you can use dried cherries or cranberries.
Aurica says
uuhhhhhh, crunchy, fluffy and marvelous, they're so gooooood
Kathy says
Oh these scones look perfect…love the combo of sour cherries and chocolate! The things we take for granted…I really have never thought of cranberries as exotic. Very nice, Paula!
Carrie Burrill says
What a perfect scone! I can never get enough new scone recipes. This one is perfect for our Chocolate Party!
cakewhiz says
great addition to the chocolate party! i am really enjoying looking at everyone's recipes this month 😀
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
we have sour cherries in Romania but here in the US even those canned that say sour cherries have so much sugar they aren't sour at all.
What a great idea to use them in scones, beautiful and delicious