Easy Scone Recipe with Cherries + Almonds (2024)

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ByAnn DrakeJanuary 29, 2023February 7, 2023

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A delicious and easy scone recipe that makes eight perfect triangle scones. Use the basic scone recipe, and make it your own by adding your favorite fruit and nuts. You can have fresh baked scones in no time!

Easy Scone Recipe with Cherries + Almonds (1)

What is a scone?

A scone is very much like a biscuit, but with more sweetness, and additional ingredients. Scones are a very old and traditional staple of tea time in the United Kingdom, which is where they originated.

Here in the United States, we eat scones mainly as a breakfast pastry. No matter when you eat them, they are delicious and filling.

Making scones is not an exact science. Some recipes call for an egg, which makes a denser scone, and some do not. The amount of sugar varies, and so does the amount of butter.

How is “scone” pronounced?

The answer to that question is found in the geography of the UK. If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you might remember that the show took place in North Yorkshire, and the writers rhymed “scone” with “gone.” After doing a little research, I discovered that the northern regions of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland rhyme “scone” with “gone.”

So the Downton Abbey writers clearly knew what they were doing. Southern Ireland rhymes it with “bone,” and the rest of England is a mixture. In the US, we mostly rhyme “scone” with “bone,” but if you ever hear the alternate pronunciation, it’s correct too!

Why This Recipe Works

The easy scone recipe I’m sharing today features one of two ways to make scone dough. You can add an egg, or not. I like to add an egg for binding purposes, plus the egg adds moistness. This basic scone recipe can be easily varied by changing the add-ins. See Variations.

Main Ingredients

All purpose flour
Sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Butter
Egg
Whipping cream

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below.

This easy scone recipe consists of 7 main ingredients. The flavor of a scone is determined by the extra added ingredients. For example, if you want a savory scone, add freshly chopped herbs and cheddar cheese. For a sweet scone, add fresh or dried fruit. For a dessert scone, add semi-sweet or white chocolate chips.

How to Make Scones

Dice a stick of butter and place back in the refrigerator.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, beat together the egg, whipping cream, and almond extract. Set aside.
Remove the butter from the refrigerato,r and using a pastry cutter, cut it into the dry ingredients. (You will have small chunks of butter. That’s fine.)
Pour the whipping cream mixture into the flour/butter mixture.
Stir with a large spatula until the liquid is incorporated into the flour.
Add the dried cherries & almonds, and mix one more time.
Put the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Using your hands, mold the dough together, and begin shaping into a disc.
Use a rolling pin to flatten the disc so it measures 8 to 9 inches in diameter.
With a large sharp knife, cut the disc into eight sections.
Place the sections on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, at least 2 inches apart.
Refrigerate the cookie sheet for 30 minutes.
When the refrigeration time is almost over, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the scones from the refrigerator. Brush with more whipping cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired.
Place the cold cookie sheet in the oven.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, watching closely at the end. Scones should be golden around the edges.
Remove to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Easy Scone Recipe with Cherries + Almonds (5)

Variations

The dried cherries can be swapped out with any other kind of dried fruit: raisins, dried cranberries, pitted and minced dates.
Swap out the almonds with any type of chopped nut: pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts.
A glaze drizzled over the cooled scones adds sweetness and extra moisture.

How to Make Glaze for Scones

Mix one cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until combined. The glaze should pour, but it should not be runny. To make it thicker, add more powdered sugar. To thin it, add more milk.

Easy Scone Recipe with Cherries + Almonds (6)

TIPS

Every oven has a mind of its own, so make sure and watch the scones at the end of the baking time. Each batch of scones I make bakes a bit differently. The baking time depends on the thickness of the scones, and how cold the butter is.
For the baking time, set your timer for 20 minutes, but keep an eye on your oven. The scones are done when they are light golden around the edges. My batches of scones take between 22 and 25 minutes.
It’s very important to NOT skip the refrigeration step before baking. After rolling, cutting, and handling, the butter in the dough is nearly melted. By popping the scones in the refrigerator, the butter hardens again, and then melts in the oven. This produces a very flaky, light, and tender scone.
The scone dough can be adjusted after it’s all mixed together. If it’s too dry, just add a tablespoon or two of whipping cream. If it’s too wet, simply add more flour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Mix the dough and cut out the scones. Wrap the scones in wax or parchment paper, and then place them in a resealable freezer bag. When you are ready, simply thaw and bake.

Store these scones at room temperature in an airtight container. If you need to layer them, separate the layers with parchment paper.

The answer to this question is that it’s a matter of opinion! I like the way the dough comes together when an egg is included. Other bakers claim that scones are more flaky and tender without an egg. So try it both ways and see what you think!

I prefer all purpose flour. You can use cake flour, but adjustments need to be made to the liquid ingredients.

Strawberry Scones
Lemon Ginger Scones
English Muffin Bread
Orange Cranberry Bread

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