Almond Black Cherry Scones

Almond Black Cherry Scones

These are fairly easy to make, and very tasty.  You can make by hand, in a food processor or in a mixer.  The glaze keeps them fresh, so that cooking them the night before is fine.  And great to take to a breakfast meeting.

Follow this link to the recipe: 
Almond Black Cherry Scones

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 Tblsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 stick cold butter, diced
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/3 cup dried black cherries, cut into small pieces
• Glaze (see below)
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Glaze topping

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 ½ tsp milk
• 1 tsp butter, melted
• ½ tsp almond extract

Night before:

Whisk together first 3 ingredients (or pulse in food processor).  Incorporate butter with a pastry blender or by rubbing butter with your finger tips (or pulse in food processor).  It should look somewhat ragged - it will not be smooth.  Stir in sugar (or pulse in food processor). Stir in cherries (if using food processor, dump into a bowl and continue with stirring in cherries by hand)

Stir in milk and extract, just until incorporated.

Turn out on floured counter or board and knead 8 or 10 times.  Divide into 2 pieces, and shape each into a disk about ¾ inch thick.  Cut each disk into 12 wedges.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Separate each disk, and put each wedge onto the paper .  Put pan in refrigerator overnight.

Put butter for glaze in a small bowl, and measure out sugar.

Set oven to come on at 425 degrees in the morning.

Next morning:

Put pan in preheated oven.  Bake for 12 minutes

Microwave glaze bowl with butter, add sugar, milk and extract.  Stir until all sugar is incorporated.  If too stiff, thin with milk, ¼ tsp at a time.

When scones are done, put on a rack, and spread with glaze.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds if you wish.

NOTES:

• If you put the scones barely touching one another in the pan, they will be softer than the crisp ones you get from having them separated.
• You can skip the glaze, but brush with milk before baking - otherwise the surface is dull and not that appealing.
• I usually double the recipe, and freeze the extra wedges uncooked.  I can then pull out as many as I want, pop into the oven still frozen, and enjoy any morning I want.