Chocolate Sour Cherry Scones

Crumbly and tender, these cherry scones come together in 40 minutes. They can be frozen and baked to order, so you eat warm, out-of-the-oven scones every time!

After a huge storm that flooded many areas of this city last week, including my neighborhood, we're finally having what can be referred to as wonderful spring days. The perfect way to start the week.

But the holiday season calls for berries, chocolate, and baking, doesn't it?

I dream of cranberries.

I love them, their acid sweet flavor, beautiful deep color, and the way they have of livening up any sweet or savory thing they get thrown into. 

So when the polls were closed, and cranberries emerged as the winner of the November challenge, let's say I was challenged more than ever. The closest I had found were sour cherries. They taste surprisingly like cranberries and have that deep red hue. But they only grow in cold climates, south of the country, and never make it to the city.

Scones have very simple ingredients, but a few pointers should be followed if you want soft, tender ones that are nicely risen.

Tips for making scones

• Very cold ingredients. I'm not kidding when I say frozen butter, at least very cold. And don't take the cream half an hour before mixing the scones. Butter, and cream, 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 as cold as possible so the butter doesn't start to melt and you get that crumbly texture.
• A rather high oven. They need that extra heat to rise however they can in spite of all that butter and cream. And if by any chance you forgot to turn the oven on before you start with the 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 that you can have them frozen, and unbaked until you need them. 

Cut and put in a cookie sheet that fits into your freezer. Freeze in the tray until completely solid. You can transfer 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. 

What type of chocolate should we use?

• A good semi-sweet chocolate bar cut into chunks is my first option. Or use the packaged chocolate chunks. I prefer them to chips because they are larger and melt better, but you can use your favorite chocolate chip if that's all you have.

They turned out wonderful, not only the scones but the pairing of chocolate with the berries. 

So yes, the whole scone turned out good, very good, a cross between breakfast and tea time. Or a snack. They are not too sweet and have those dark and somewhat sour stumbles when you bite into them.

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Adapted from Ann Pillsbury's Baking Book, 1950 edition