Make-Ahead Cherry Scones
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Recipe type: Baking
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 scones
 
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on tops of scones
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1 ¼ cups frozen cherries (you can buy fresh and pop them in the freezer for a bit)
  • 1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing on tops of scones
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup cacao nibs or ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
  1. Place the flour, sugar, baking power and salt in the large bowl of a food processer, fitted with the large chopping blade. Pulse a few times to get everything mixed together. Then add the butter, and pulse about 10 or 12 times. You want the butter to be cut into the flour mixture, but some small pieces of butter should remain, so don’t pulse the smithereens out of it.
  2. Transfer the flour and butter mixture to a large bowl, and gently fold in the frozen cherries.
  3. In a large measuring cup, mix together the heavy cream, egg and vanilla. Then slowly fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture (I like using a fork for this). Once the dough starts coming together, use your hands to gently kneed it into a ball shape. (If the mixture seems too dry, you can add a teaspoon or two more of heavy cream, and work the dough gently until it does a better job of holding together.) You’ll want to work quickly to keep things as cold as possible.
  4. Gently flatten the dough on a floured surface into a 6-inch circle. Use a large knife to cut the circle into 8 triangles (I usually score the top first before cutting to make sure they’re all fairly even).
  5. Place the scones on a wax paper-lined baking sheet, and freeze them until they’re solid. Once they’re frozen, you can go ahead and bake them, or put them in a plastic freezer bag for up to a month.
  6. To bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Then bake for 20 to 25 minutes (turning the pan halfway through), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If they start browning too quickly, you can gently drape a piece of foil over the top until the centers are done.
Recipe by Splash of Something at https://splashofsomething.com/2016/11/29/holiday-dos-bunches-baking-make-ahead-cherry-scones/