Cherry Almond Scones

This recipe is…there are no words for how good these scones are.

No. Words. 

I’m a noted lover of scones (as seen here, here, and here), and there are very few flavor combinations I love more than cherry and almond.  So as I was poring over various cherry recipes to use my plethora of fresh cherries (and awesome new cherry pitter), I came across this one and it immediately jumped to the top of the “must make” list.

I made a few small tweaks to the original recipe, most notably cutting way back on the glaze.  I don’t think they need a ton, just enough to get a bit of extra sweet and a punch of almond flavor.  I’m well known for adding almond extract to EVERYTHING.

Preheat oven to 400 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut (or rub) the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal.

Stir in the buttermilk until it’s just combined—don’t overmix!  Then tip out onto a lightly-floured surface and give it a few gentle kneads to bright it together.  Carefully fold in the cherries.  Try not to use too much force or you’ll end up with purple dough 🙂  I recommend folding it in half, turning it 90 degrees, and doing this 2-3 more times.  This helps the scones rise well.

Pat or roll lightly into a round or rectangle and cut the scones out however you prefer.  Transfer to your pans and brush the tops with buttermilk, then sprinkle the sugar on top.

Bake the scones, beginning to check them after 10 minutes.  Depending on the size you cut them out, they’ll likely take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.

Let the scones cool for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the scones are cooling, whisk together the sugar, milk, and almond extract until you get a glaze that’s thick but still runny enough to drizzle.

Use a spoon to slowly zig-zag drizzle the glaze over the scones and allow to set for about 10 minutes before serving.

These are definitely best served fresh, as they lose their “crisp” the next day (but still taste delicious).

Other scone or almond recipes to explore!

• Dreamy, Creamy Scones (my OG fave scone recipe)
• Healthy Apple Pie Scones
• Almond Magic Cake
• Orange-Almond Biscotti
• Spiced Orange Apricot Scones (regular & GF versions)

Cherry Almond Scones

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 stick of cold, unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk, plus more for brushing
• 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 cup of halved or quartered cherries (I have cherry pitter to make it sooo much easier)
• Turbinado or sparkling sugar for sprinkling

Glaze

• A scant cup of powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons of milk or buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut (or rub) the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal.
3. Stir in the buttermilk until it’s just combined—don’t overmix!  Then tip out onto a lightly-floured surface and give it a few gentle kneads to bright it together.  Carefully fold in the cherries.  Try not to use too much force or you’ll end up with purple dough 🙂  I recommend folding it in half, turning it 90 degrees, and doing this 2-3 more times.  This helps the scones rise well.
4. Pat or roll lightly into a round or rectangle and cut the scones out however you prefer.  Transfer to your pans and brush the tops with buttermilk, then sprinkle the sugar on top.
5. Bake the scones, beginning to check them after 10 minutes.  Depending on the size you cut them out, they’ll likely take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.
6. Let the scones cool for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. While the scones are cooling, whisk together the sugar, milk, and almond extract until you get a glaze that’s thick but still runny enough to drizzle.
8. Use a spoon to slowly zig-zag drizzle the glaze over the scones and allow to set for about 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Table for Two

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