I have a confession to make: I’ve only tried one, single recipe for scones. But when they’re this good, who needs experimentation?
This recipe originated with our lovely friend and godmother to Rosie, Kriss Marion. She made some apricot and chocolate chip ones for my birthday breakfast one year, and I have never tried making another scone recipe ever. They are so delicious, so easy, and so adaptable!
Recently, I even tried making these with half whole-wheat flour and some ground flaxseed, and they were wonderful (“Even then,” says Jon). We made a special version with cherries and almonds for Lucy’s birthday and they were delicious, so that’s what I’m passing along below.
I love making them in this “mini-scone” size, but I’ve included instructions for full-size scones at the end. They freeze well, but note — they are definitely at their best when warm, so heat them up a bit before nibbling leftovers!
Cherry-Almond Scones
3 cups flour
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
½ cup butter (that’s one stick)
1 cup sour cream (plain yogurt works well, too)
1½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup mix-ins — I used mixed up chopped dried cherries and salted almonds, but they are great with any other kind of dried fruit and/or nuts, or even chocolate chips for true decadence
heavy cream
sugar (for sprinkling)
Preheat the oven to 400°. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in cold butter with pastry cutter. Make a well in the center; add sour cream and vanilla, stir. Turn out and knead. Add dried fruit & nuts.
Divide into four balls. Flatten each to 8-inch round on greased baking sheet. (Two rounds fit nicely on a sheet.) Slice each round into eight pieces (but keeping it together in the round). Brush with cream (or beaten egg), then sprinkle with sugar. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut again once they are out of the oven. Allow to cool — but serve warm for the most deliciousness!
Alternately, you can make full-size scones by dividing the dough in half (instead of quarters), placing one round on each cookie sheet, and cutting each round into eight. In this case, bake 23-28 minutes.