Cherry Scones

My mother-in-law had a nifty connection with a caterer, which is how I ended up with a rather fancy baby shower complete with made-to-order crepes, delicious frittatas and unbelievable scones. I pretty much wiped out all the leftover scones by myself.

I finally made scones for the first time this morning, and they turned out wonderfully. I used a recipe from a Farmgirl's Dabbles and modified it slightly. These scones are light, slightly crisp on the exterior and just sweet enough. The bonus is these are not at all time consuming ... the batch can be made within 20 minutes, 30 if you're toting a 6-month old.

Cherry Scones

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. sugar, divided
6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. buttermilk  

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Line a baking sheet with a silipat or parchment paper.  In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 tablespoons sugar.

With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in dried cherries.  Make a well in the center; add buttermilk and egg, and stir just until combined (do not overmix).

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead 5 or 6 times.  Pat into an 8″ disk.  With a floured 1-1/2″ biscuit cutter, cut out rounds.  Reroll and cut scraps once more.

Transfer to baking sheet, about 1-1/2″ apart.  Brush rounds with milk, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Bake until scones are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per a Farmgirl's Dabbles, the scones are best eaten the same day. Cut all the dough into scones, but place any "leftovers" in the freezer prior to baking. To bake frozen scones, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Adjust baking time by adding about 3 to 5 minutes. Just think, fresh scones every morning ... mmmm.