Get your coffee house pastry fix at home with these Cherry Chocolate Almond Scones. Enjoy with your morning cup of jo, as part of a brunch spread, or as an afternoon snack.
Skip the coffee shop and make scones at home. They are indulgent, yet relatively easy to make.
Customize them with different add-ins and flavors, such as maple chai, orange, or chocolate chunk.
Scones aren't always sweet. I love savory scones too. Try caramelized onion and gruyere or jalapeno popper varieties.
Why these scones are so good
My love of scones continues with this Cherry Chocolate Almond version. I have a weakness for anything chocolate-almond and these flavors pair perfectly with cherries. I like the chew of dried cherries, and combined with dark chocolate and almond extract, these scones are delicious.
Tips for making scones
- Grate the butter and keep it in the freezer while you gather the rest of the ingredients. This is my favorite tip! Grating butter creates small shards that are easily distributed throughout the flour by tossing with a fork. These small shards also create a light and flaky texture. Grating the butter eliminates the need to cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter. It's fast and easy and I have come to really prefer this method.
- Use cold ingredients - keep the egg and heavy cream cold until ready to use. I also chill the scone dough while the oven preheats to keep it cold.
- Toss the cherries and chocolate with the flour before adding the wet ingredients. This helps to evenly distribute them.
- Don't overwork the dough. This will create tough dough. Work the dough just enough to bring it together and form the scones.
- Form the dough into a disk on parchment paper. This makes easy work of transferring the scones to a sheet pan.
- Slice the dough into six wedges. Separate the wedges slightly. Baking the scones close together helps them to rise high and not spread wide!
- Brush the scones with cream before baking to help them brown.
- Don't skip the glaze. With a touch of almond extract and a little tint of food coloring, it's a festive finishing touch.
Serving scones
These scones are delicious for breakfast, brunch, or as a sweet treat with coffee or tea. Cherry and chocolate are a delicious combination, especially enhanced with a touch of almond.
Storing scones
Scones are best eaten the day they are made. If storing, keep the scones in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea to enjoy with one of these scones. It's a sweet start to any day or a welcome afternoon treat.
Can I freeze scones?
Yes, scones freeze very well. They can be frozen baked or unbaked.
- Unbaked - Scones can be frozen before baking. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer zip-top bag. Let the frozen scones sit on the baking sheet while the oven preheats. Allow a few extra minutes for the scones to bake.
- Baked - After baking, let the scones cool completely. Wrap the scones in plastic wrap with parchment paper in between the scones. Store in a freezer zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Defrost the scones at room temperature. Top with glaze before serving.
Equipment
Mixing bowl | Grater | Measuring cups and spoons | Liquid measuring cup | Parchment paper | Sheet pan | Bench scraper
More scone recipes
Cherry Chocolate Almond Scones
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter (grated and frozen)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¾ cup heavy cream ( plus extra for brushing the top of scones)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Grate the butter into a mixing bowl. (Note 1) Chill in the freezer while you gather the rest of the ingredients.
- To the mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork, toss to combine and distribute the butter throughout the flour. Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips and toss gently to evenly distribute.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and almond extract. Add to the flour mixture and gently stir just until the dough comes together. The dough should dry, not wet, but should hold together. If the dough seems too crumbly, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and form into a circle ¾-inch to one-inch thick. Transfer the parchment to a sheet pan and chill for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a bench scraper or a knife, slice the dough into 6 wedges. Separate the wedges slightly. (Note 2) Brush the tops with heavy cream. Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
- For the icing, in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough cream to achieve the desired consistency. Drizzle the icing over the scones.
- The scones are best eaten the same day. Otherwise, store in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Notes
- Alternatively, cut the butter into cubes. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized crumbs form.
- Baking the scones close together helps them to rise high and not spread wide.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending upon the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
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