Cherry-Buttermilk Scones

My mom and cherries are like two peas in a pod….she absolutely LOVES them! When cherries are in season, my mom will simply pop them into her mouth just like you would grapes.

Recently we all went shopping at McKinney’s downtown historic square. There we bought some Amaretto Cherry Preserves from a cute kitchen shop and all we could think about afterwards was making scones and biscuits so we could try out our cherry preserves!

When we arrived home, that’s exactly what we did…. we made cherry-buttermilk scones! If you’ve never eaten a scone, it’s time to try one. They remind me of a flaky biscuit, except that they are sweet. They are super easy to make and we just love them!

The amaretto cherry preserves went perfect with our scones, but you could also top them with a pat of butter served alongside a cup of tea like the British do! “Quite lovely,” as the Brits would say. Enjoy!

Pulse butter and dry ingredients.

Transfer dry ingredients to a large bowl.

Whisk eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and add dried cherries.

Stir until just combined.

Use 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop scones onto baking sheet.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm.

Cherry-Buttermilk Scones
Ingredients
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
20 Tbsp (2 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup dried cherries

Directions
1. Position your oven racks so one is in the center of your oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix.
3. Add the butter all at once, and run the food processor for 15 seconds. Switch to pulse, and continue pulsing until there are no chunks left and the mixture looks like moist crumbs. Be careful not to over-mix the ingredients. Remove the blade from the food processor, and dump the crumbs into a big bowl.
4. In another small bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in the cherries.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the ‘crumbs’ and stir with a wooden spoon. Stop as soon as no flour is visible. You don’t want to work the dough a moment longer than necessary.
6. Use a half-cup measuring cup or your hands to scoop the batter out, and plop it onto the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between the scones.
7. Place the baking sheet on the center rack in the oven, and bake the scones for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a small knife or toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and place it on a rack to cool for a few minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the scones to the rack or serving dish. Serve fresh out of the oven or at room temperature.

Yield: 10 scones
Recipe adapted from: Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audreau

Cranberry Orange Scones

Afternoon tea and scones may be popular with the British, but it doesn’t mean that we Americans shouldn’t enjoy them too! Here’s a great cranberry orange scone recipe I’d like to share with you from one of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten: The Barefoot Contessa.

My mom, sister, and I have been making these scones for years. I didn’t mention my dad or husband in the last sentence, because they don’t like these…. they say they’re too “girly” and they don’t like dried fruit. So ladies, this is a recipe for you and primarily your girlfriends. Don’t bother the guys with this one, save the cocoa brownies with browned butter and walnuts for them!

For those of you who have never eaten a scone, it’s like eating a sweet biscuit. They are flakey, buttery and the orange zest and dried cranberries result in the perfect combination of flavors in this quick bread. Don’t forget to drizzle some of the orange glaze on top! Enjoy.

Mix flour, sugar, powder, salt and orange zest.

Add the cold butter and mix until the size of peas.

Combine the eggs and heavy cream.

Fole in the dried cranberries.

Knead dough and roll to 3/4-inch thick. Cut circles of dough with a biscuit cutter.

Place cut out dough on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 400 degree F oven. Cool for 15 minutes and drizzle with orange glaze.

Eat up!

Cranberry Orange Scones
Ingredients
4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp. water or milk for egg wash
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus 2 Tbsp.
4 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas.
3. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy!
4. Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.
5. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 -inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn’t stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough.
6. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Collect scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Yield: 14-16 Scones
Recipe from: Barefoot Contessa

Dried Apricot Scones with Pecans and Shredded Coconut

Dense and packed full of healthy bits of fruits and nuts, these are the energy bar of scones, and my sister’s all-time favorite scone recipe! These scones call for dried apricots, but dried mango, papaya, and pineapple all work well as substitutes. These Dried Apricot Scones with Pecans and Shredded Coconut came from “Once Upon a Tart… Soups Salads, Muffins, and More From New York City’s Favorite Bakeshop and Cafe” by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau with Carolyn Carreno. Enjoy!

Dried Apricot Scones with Pecans and Shredded Coconut

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

10 tbsp (1 stick plus 2 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cold milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions

1. Position your oven racks so that one is in the center, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse to mix.

3. Add the butter to the bowl all at once, and run the food processor for about 15 seconds. Switch to pulse, and continue pulsing until there are no chunks of butter left and the mixture looks like moist crumbs. Remove the blade from the food processor, and dump the crumbs into a big bowl.

4. In a separate, medium-size bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. Use the whisk to stir in the nuts, apricots, and coconut.

5. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the flour-butter crumbs, and stir them with a wooden spoon until they come together and there is no flour visible. Don’t work the dough a moment longer than necessary.

6. Use a 1/2-cup measuring cup or your hand (eyeballing for size) to scoop up the dough. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place it on your prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between pieces. Press down on each dough ball with eh heel of your hand so that you have a fat disk (1-1 1/2 inches thick), like a hockey puck.

7. Place the baking sheet on the center rack in the oven, and bake the scones for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick or small knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to let scones cool for a few minutes. Lift the baking sheet off the rack, and use a metal spatula to transfer the scones from the baking sheet to the rack, or directly to whatever you’re serving the scones from. Serve fresh from the oven or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 scones

“Once Upon a Tart…” by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau

Dried Cranberry Scones with Crystallized Sugar Crust

These are officially my favorite scones in the whole wide world! Last time we made them with all dried cranberries, so this time we tried them with half dried blueberries. We actually prefer them with only cranberries….the blueberries are almost too strong. This is from “Once Upon a Tart…” Cookbook from the Once Upon a Tart… cafe and bakery in New York City.

Cut the butter in 1/4 inch cubes.

Mix together the dry ingredients.

Combine butter with dry ingredients.

Now add the egg and buttermilk mixture.

Next mix in the dried blueberries and cranberries with the dough.

Form dough into 8 rounds and place them evenly on a cookie sheet.

Place in 400 degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Slightly cool and serve warm!

Dried Cranberry Scones with Crystallized Sugar Crust.
Ingredients
3 cups flour; plus more to flour your hands to roll out the scones
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
20 tbsp (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
3/4 cup dried cranberries (we used half dried blueberries and half dried cranberries)
1 large egg whisked with 1 tbsp cream or milk (egg wash)
1 tbsp or more granulated or raw sugar for sprinkling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl all at once, and run the electric mixer on low for 15 seconds.
3. Add the butter and mix until pea-size clumps form. Be careful not to let the dough form a paste.
4. In a separate, small bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Whisk in the buttermilk, and use the whisk to stir in the dried fruit.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with flour-butter crumbs. Stir the dough with a wooden spoon until it just comes together and there is no trace of flour visible. You don’t want to work the dough a moment longer than necessary.
6. With a little bit of flour on your hands, scoop out a small handful (1/2 cup) of dough with your hand or a big spoon, and roll the dough until it forms a ball. Drop the dough onto your baking sheet, and press it into a 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick disk with the heel of one hand. Leave 2 inch spaces between the pressed disks.
7. Use a pastry brush and coat each scone with the egg wash. Sprinkle the scones with a thick layer of sugar.
8. Place the baking sheet on a center rack in the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a small knife or toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to allow the scones to cool for a few minutes. Lift the baking sheet off the rack, and used a spatula to transfer the scones from the baking sheet to the rack, or directly to the dish from which you’ll be serving the scones. Serve fresh out of the oven, or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 scones
Recipe from: Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audreau