Fresh baked Dried Cherry and Chocolate Chip Scones go great with a cup of coffee, glass of cold milk or afternoon tea. This scone recipe is an adaption of a recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I modified the technique a bit because I think the scones are actually best when baked from frozen dough. These homemade scones are flaky, buttery, and studded with chocolate chips and cherries, making them the perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack.
Try my recipes for Homemade Old-Fashioned Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls, Authentic Homemade Texas Fruit and Cream Cheese Kolaches and The Perfect Crispy Belgian Waffle.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cold unsalted butter (frozen)
- Heavy cream
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Chopped dried cherries (sweet or sour cherries)
- Mini chocolate chips
- Coarse sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg and stir in the heavy cream and pure vanilla extract. Set aside.
Grate the frozen butter on a box grater. Add the grated butter to the dry ingredients and combine with a pastry cutter. The resulting mixture should crumbs the size of peas.
Add the heavy cream mixture, chopped cherries and mini chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Overmixing will create dense scones.
Transfer the scone dough to a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a thick circle or smaller rectangle about 1-inch thick and 8-inches in diameter. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 equal wedges.
Place the scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour. This helps the butter stay intact during baking, resulting in tender scones. It also prevents the scones from spreading out while baking.
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Brush the top of each scone with heavy cream and immediately sprinkle with coarse sugar for a delightful crunch. If you wait, the cream will freeze on the scone before you add the sugar.
Bake time is approximately 20-22 minutes, or until the scones are light golden brown on the edges and just starting to develop color on top.
Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter, whipped cream, jam or simply as they are.
Storage
Store leftover scones in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Frozen scone dough can be stored for up to 3 months.
Top Tips
Use Cold Ingredients: Cold butter and cream are essential for achieving flaky scones.
Don’t Overwork the Dough: Mix until just combined to keep the scones tender.
Freeze Before Baking: Freeze the unbaked scones on a parchment-lined baking tray, then transfer them to a plastic wrap-lined airtight container.
Final Thoughts
This easy recipe produces tender and delicious scones for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. The next time you’re craving sweet scones, try this foolproof recipe. Enjoy!
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
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