Chocolate Cherry Scones
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!
Servings 12 scones
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
Tips for making scones: scones have simple everyday ingredients, but a few pointers should be followed if you want soft, tender ones that are nicely risen.
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.
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.
