Cherry Scones
Big, bakery-style scones! Ultra soft, tender, and bursting with fresh juicy cherries. The crunchy caramelized sugar top makes them irresistible.
Servings: 8 big scones
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups (150 grams) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter cold, diced
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk*
- ½ teaspoon EACH almond extract & vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (8 oz) fresh sweet cherries pitted and quartered
- ~¼ cup heavy cream optional, for brushing top
- ~½ cup coarse sugar** optional, for top
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 3 ¼ cups flour, ¾ cup sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.
- Cut in the butter: Use your fingers to work the 8 oz cold diced butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized and bean-sized pieces remain.
- Add the wet ingredients & cherries: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the ¾ cup cold buttermilk, ½ tsp almond extract, ½ tsp vanilla extract, and 1 ½ cups chopped cherries. Stir until mixture starts to come together, then pour out onto a clean work surface.Fold and knead the dough together very lightly with your hands, just enough for it to barely hold together. Be careful not to over-work the dough.
- Shape the scones: Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick disc that’s roughly 8 inches in diameter. Cut it into 8 triangle-shaped wedges using a sharp chef's knife or metal bench scraper.
- Chill thoroughly: Place scones several inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours. Don't skip this step! It helps the scones hold their shape while baking and keeps the butter super cold, so when it melts in the oven it creates little pockets of steam. This helps the scones rise and become tender and flaky.
- Bake: When scones are almost done chilling, preheat the oven to 350° F. Brush the tops of the scones with a little heavy cream and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.
Notes
*Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 3/4 cup of milk. Let sit a couple minutes before mixing into the dough.
**Coarse sugar: Any coarse sugar works here, like turbinado or demerara. It adds a nice caramelized, crunchy contrast to the soft interior of the scones. Skip this is you'd prefer to glaze the scones instead.