Cherry Almond Scones

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If you’re looking for the perfect pastry for a last minute Sunday brunch or an afternoon coffee pairing pick-me-up, your search is over. Look no further. You’ve arrived. These Cherry Almond Scones are simple to make and bring one of the best flavor combos in history straight to your kitchen. Rich and delicious cherry-almond flavor, without a nut in sight.

I’ve been baking scones and biscuits since I was old enough to reach the kitchen counter. It wasn’t until recently I discovered cream biscuits and scones, or scones that leverage heavy cream instead of butter or lard. To be fair, we all know heavy cream is just one million whisks away from being actual butter, but the difference in technique and time required to pour cream into the dry ingredients versus grating or painstakingly massaging cold butter into the mix? I was intrigued and needed to give it a go. And after testing these scones seven or so times, I’m a full-on believer. Cream scones forever.

This recipe is inspired by Amanda Hesser’s Cream Scones recipe with modifications to suit my baking style and preferences. I am baking my way through her latest cookbook, bit-by-bit, and it’s absolutely wonderful.

What you’ll love about this Cherry Almond Scone recipe

  • Aside from the frozen cherries and almond extract, the base scone recipe uses common pantry items that you likely have on hand.
  • While I find that making anything for the first time takes a bit longer than most recipes state, these truly do come together in 30-40 minutes, start to finish!
  • The sticky, shaggy dough miraculously transforms into a perfectly moist, subtly sweet, flavorful scone.

Ingredients

  • All purpose flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Kosher salt
  • Heavy cream
  • Almond extract
  • Frozen unsweetened cherries
Overhead view of all ingredients for Cherry Almond Scones: All purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cream, almond extract, and black cherries.

My Baking Notes

  • Make sure your baking rack is in the top half, ideally the top third, of your oven to avoid burning the bottoms of your scones.
  • Bake for 15-minutes, or until the tops have just started to brown and are golden. Personal preference: while the center of the pastry should always be cooked through, over-baking them is common and likely the reason most people think they do not enjoy a scone. “They’re too dry!” Overbaking is likely the culprit. That or not enough fat in the dough (in this case, cream).
  • Use frozen cherries straight from the freezer. When you fold them into your scone dough, move quickly to avoid too much moisture seeping out of the cherries as they begin to thaw.
Overhead photo of finished product: Cherry Almond Scones with a light glaze, plated on a cake stand.
Finished scones on a small, light pink cake stand with a bowl of cherries to the right of the scones.

Cherry Almond Scones

Amber Dawn | The Host Notes
This fan favorite breakfast pastry is rich and delicious, full of cherry-almond flavor, without a nut in sight! They come together in under 45 minutes and just might be the best scones you've ever had. They're tender, subtly sweet, and made with the ease of heavy cream instead of butter. Serve them as they are or with an Old Fashioned Glaze Icing if you're feeling extra!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Servings 8 scones

Equipment

  • 2 Large mixing bowls
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Fork
  • Bench scraper or chef's knife
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Whisk

Ingredients
  

Scones

  • 2 cups All purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 Cupas Heavy cream plus more for brushing the scones
  • 1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
  • 1 cup Frozen cherries

Old Fashioned Glaze Icing

  • 2 cups Powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Milk at room temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter melted
  • 1 Tablespoon Cherry juice optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon Almond extract

Instructions
 

  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • Use the back of a spoon to create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
  • Pour the 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and the almond extract into the well.
  • Use a fork to gently combine the dry and liquid ingredients until a shaggy dough is formed and all the loose flour has become part of the dough. Add more cream, a spoonful at a time, if needed to absorb any dry or excess flour.
  • Once your dough is formed, add the frozen cherries. Quickly fold the dough over the cherries until they are fairly evenly distributed throughout the dough. This part may be a bit messy, but hang in there!
  • Move the dough from the bowl onto the counter top. Form a round disc and press gently into the counter until it's about 1 1/2 inches thick. You can use a rolling pin to even out the thickness if you like, but the palms of your hands will do the trick.
  • Quickly, carefully, cut the disk with your knife or bench scraper. First in half, then half again, and once more, so you have eight equal parts in the shape of individual triangles.
  • Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet about 3 inches apart as they will spread during the bake.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops have started to slightly brown. Let cool before serving.

Old Fashioned Glaze Icing

  • Whisk 2 cups of powdered sugar along with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of milk or cream in a large mixing bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved and absent of lumps. It helps if the milk is at room temperature.
  • Add 2 Tablespoons of melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. Stir to combine.
  • Once the scones have cooled, drizzle the Old Fashioned Glaze Icing over top or dip the top of each scone into the icing for a fully coated effect.

Notes

    • Make sure your baking rack is in the top half, ideally the top third, of your oven to avoid burning the bottoms of your scones.
    • Bake for 15-minutes, or until the tops have just started to brown and are golden. Personal preference: while the center of the pastry should always be cooked through, over-baking them is common and likely the reason most people think they do not enjoy a scone. “They’re too dry!” Overbaking is likely the culprit. That or not enough fat in the dough (in this case, cream).
    • Use frozen cherries or berries straight from the freezer. When you fold them into your scone dough, move quickly to avoid too much moisture seeping out of the cherries as they begin to thaw.
  •  
    • If cherries aren’t your thing, fear not! You can substitute most frozen berries – blackberries, blueberries, even small-ish strawberries – and pair with an extract flavor that delights you! 
Keyword Cherry, Pastry, Scone, Snacks, Tea

If you’re looking for other brunch-worthy pastry recipes, you might love my Carrot Banana Muffins. Give them a gander!

Amber Dawn

Fresh Mango Salsa

Amber Dawn | The Host Notes
This pico-style salsa is sweet and savory which means it has depth in flavor that plays well with your favorite grilled seafood or tacos, or maybe even a lovely addition to a 7-layer-dip. Spice it up or tone it down - it's versatile and delectable however you serve it up. The best part? Even the mango naysayers seem to love it. Take along as a side dish to your next cookout or bunko night and add some color and zip to the table.
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Cutting board or butcher block
  • Chef's knife
  • Paring knife
  • Microplane or zester
  • Handheld juicer
  • Bench scraper
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Wooden spoon or rubber spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Mango large, ripe
  • 3-4 Tomatoes Roma
  • 1 Red onion medium
  • 1 Serrano OR jalapeno pepper for less spice remove seeds to decrease spice level
  • 1 Cup Cilantro chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic grated
  • 3-4 Limes medium, juiced (about ½ cup)
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Wash your produce well and set aside to dry, pat dry with a clean kitchen towel to speed up the process.
  • Using your chef’s knife, hold the mango carefully with the stem up on the cutting board. Apply enough pressure to hold it steady while you slice into the mango on all sides, removing as much fruit as possible while avoiding the pit. Keep the peel on for now and focus on getting all the mango you can get.
  • Using your paring knife, take the pieces of mango w/ peel on and slice them in to ½ inch strips. Then, score them into cubes, slicing the fruit but without slicing through the skin. Using your paring knife, carefully remove the skin from the mango, salvaging as much of the fruit as you can and discarding the skin. Add the cubes to your bowl.
  • Quarter your Roma tomatoes and remove the juicy pockets and seeds. This will make your salsa less watered down and allow the flavors to shine.
  • Dice the tomatoes into ¼ inch cubes and add to the large mixing bowl and set aside.
  • Dice the onion into ¼ inch cubes and add to your bowl.
  • Wearing gloves, slice your serrano or jalapeno in half lengthwise. At this point, you can remove the seeds by using a small spoon to scrape them out. If you’d like a spicy salsa, leave the seeds in. Half the peppers once more so you are left with four long strips. Line them up and dice into ¼ inch pieces. Add to your bowl.
  • Rough chop the cilantro to the consistency you like. It can be fine or super rough and using the stems is fine, if you like them.
  • Peel and grate the garlic and add to the bowl.
  • Juice the limes until you have about ½ cup of fresh lime juice. Add to your bowl.
  • Add the chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt.
  • Give the salsa a good stir, incorporating all the ingredients until well combined.
  • Serve cold or at room temperature with tortilla chips, over grilled fish or meat, or on your favorite tacos.
  • Mango Salsa will store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Notes

Mango is a pretty fibrous fruit and requires sharp knives to avoid smashing the fruit when chopping. It can also be difficult to get into tiny pieces without smashing, so I’m flexible on the size of the chop.
Grating garlic: This produces a fine paste-like result that opens up the essence of the garlic and lets the flavor really come through. I find I need less garlic in recipes when I use this method. You can use pre-pressed garlic or store-bought paste but it won’t yield the same pure garlic flavor.
Up the pepper ratio (red pepper flakes, serrano peppers) if you want to take this salsa up a few levels on the spicy front. Omit all three if you’d like to keep it mild.
Try serving this over grilled fish or combined with your favorite ceviche for a sweet and savory dish.
Or… try it on your carne asada or chicken adobo tacos.
Keyword Dip, Salsa

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