Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones

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Now when you think of scones do you think dry and crumbly and not worth the calories? Me? Well I think nice looking arms.
Wait you don’t equate scones with nice looking shoulders in the summertime?
Ok perhaps I should explain. This scone first of all is my favorite. When I worked at a bakery a few years ago, I made so many scones I lost count. Probably 10-12 batches of scones by hand each day.
Now it probably makes sense that I think scones = nice shoulders. Man my arms were seriously in shape that summer.
But this scone flavor combination was also my favorite out of all the kinds I made. I generally would eat one every morning as I started in on the first batches of the day. The rich chocolate, tart chewy cherries, and the almond flavoring in the dough and the glaze – they were just perfect!
Ingredients for these chocolate cherry scones
- All purpose flour – this type of flour works perfect in scones. It has a mid range protein content so making for a perfectly tender scone.
- Baking powder – this is a quick bread by definition meaning it gets it rise (quickly) from a leavening agent such as baking powder as opposed to a yeast bread for example. And baking powder and baking soda are NOT the same thing. So don’t swap one for the other. You can read all about baking powder vs. baking soda here and really nerd out on some baking science.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is what I used. But I’m guessing brown sugar would also be delicious.
- Salt – As always, I add a little salt to my baking recipes to help balance the sweetness.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter while baking. Different brands can use varying amounts of salt in their salted butter making it hard to control the salt. And make sure your butter is COLD, COLD, COLD. This makes for a flaky scone (similar to making pie dough).
- Dried Cherries – I love the tartness and the chewy texture of these cherries. You could try using fresh cherries, or substituting with cranberries if you can’t find these.
- Dark Chocolate Chips – Chocolate and cherry go so well together!
- Extracts – I used both vanilla and almond. The almond flavor pairs well with the chocolate and cherry and might be my favorite part of these scones.
- Heavy Cream – I used heavy cream for richness. Again, make sure it’s cold!
How To Make These Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones
To make these scones you want start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Just simply whisk to combine.
Then add in your chilled butter cubes. And either use a pastry cutter to cut the butter in or squish the butter between your fingertips.
You want the butter to be pea-sized and still visible. Like so…
Add Those Mix-Ins
Now is the time to stir in the dried cherries, and chocolate chunks.
Time For The Liquids…
Make a well in the center and add in the heavy cream, and extracts. Stir it all together so it forms a shaggy dough.
Then you want to transfer the dough to a pastry mat or lightly floured counter and knead the dough until it just comes together. Then press the dough into a 8-inch disc.
You may need to knead the dough a few times to bring the dough together.
Cut Into Wedges.
Now with a sharp knife cut the dough into 8 equal-sized wedges.
Freeze For Best Texture
I like to place my scones in the freezer for 15 minutes before placing in the oven. You could also pop your baking sheet into the fridge as well.
Ice, Ice, Baby.
After they come out the oven (and if you can stand to wait) let them cool and ice them with an almond icing to really send that almond flavor home.
Tips For Making These Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones
- Measure flour correctly. Be sure to measure your flour correctly by scooping into your dry measuring cup and levelling off with a flat edge. For best accuracy use a kitchen scale. For a complete tutorial on how to measure your flour accurately, read this post.
- Use Cold Butter. Make sure to use cold butter. The cold butter will coat the flour which will shorten the gluten strands making for a tender scone. And because the butter is cold, it will not be absorbed by the flour, so when those pieces of butter are in the oven the water in the butter will turn to steam creating flaky layers and helping the scones to rise.
- Knead lightly. You don’t want to overwork the dough. Just knead enough for the dough to come together. Overworking the dough will develop the gluten causing the scones to be tough. It could also cause the butter to warm up and melt resulting in it getting absorbed into the dough.
Why is my scone dough dry?
Sometimes even as careful as you can measure, your dough will be on the dry side. I made batch after batch while working at a bakery and sometimes I needed to add a touch of extra cream to the dough.
Blame the weather. I usually do. Just add a bit more cream and knead the dough together.
How do you store scones?
Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
How Long Do Scones Last?
I like them of course fresh out of the oven. But they can last 1 to 2 days properly stored at room temperature.
You can also keep them store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Or better yet freeze them! Freezing desserts is my secret to always having baked goods at my fingertips.
Can You Freeze Scones?
Oh yes! That’s what I love about these chocolate cherry scones. Once you cut them into wedges, you can freeze them by placing them on a cookie sheet. Then once frozen, wrap in either plastic wrap or store in a plastic bag in your freezer for up to 3 months. I like to do both to ensure they don’t have freezer burn.
Then when ready to bake, no need to thaw, just bake frozen. You will just need to tack on a few extra minutes of baking time.
Can I Make These Half Sized?
I do this by cutting the 8 wedges and then cutting those in half again.
These half sized scones will take less baking time of course. After the first 10 minutes, rotate the pan in the oven and bake 5 minutes more.
To Make These Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones You Will Need:
Craving More Cherries? Try These!
If you like this recipe let me know and leave me a comment and star rating below!
Dark Chocolate-Cherry Almond Scones
Ingredients
For the scone dough:
- 2 cups (240 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) baking powder
- 3 tablespoons (37 grams) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, chilled cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup (71 grams) dried cherries
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) dark chocolate chunks
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 cup (227 grams) heavy cream
For the icing:
- 1/2 cup (57 grams) confectioner sugar (powdered or icing)
- 4 tsp whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
- If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in cherries and chocolate. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add cherries and chocolate and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.
- Stir in heavy cream, vanilla, and almond extract with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece and cutting until dough has been used up.
- Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet . Place the scones into a refrigerator to firm up for 15-30 minutes before baking.
- When about ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 425oF/218oC and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- For the icing: combine icing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Top cooled scones with icing.
Notes
- Be sure to measure your flour correctly by scooping into your dry measuring cup and levelling off with a flat edge. For best accuracy use a kitchen scale. For a complete tutorial on how to measure your flour accurately, read this post.
- Make sure to use cold butter. The cold butter will coat the flour which will shorten the gluten strands making for a tender scone. And because the butter is cold, it will not be absorbed by the flour, so when those pieces of butter are in the oven the water in the butter will turn to steam creating flaky layers and helping the scones to rise.
- Knead lightly. You don’t want to overwork the dough. Just knead enough for the dough to come together. Overworking the dough will develop the gluten causing the scones to be tough. It could also cause the butter to warm up and melt resulting in it getting absorbed into the dough.
I’m shopping for cherries for this recipe, but I don’t know Bing vs. Montmorency, or tart sweetened or tart unsweetened. I’m not very familiar with the flavors of cherries, so I could use some guidance. Thanks!
Thanks for your question! Here’s a bit more about cherry varieties: Bing cherries are sweet, dark red cherries that are perfect if you’re looking for a sweeter, fruit-forward flavor in your scones. Montmorency cherries, on the other hand, are tart and bright red, offering a more tangy, sour flavor. If you choose tart cherries, I’d recommend using sweetened ones to balance the flavors, as unsweetened tart cherries can be quite sharp. Both varieties will work, but the sweet Bing cherries will give you a richer, more balanced flavor with the chocolate. Hope this helps, and happy baking!
Could I use frozen cherries instead? If so, how much do you think?
Thanks for asking! 😊 I recommend sticking with dried or fresh cherries for this recipe, as frozen cherries might add too much moisture and affect the texture. Hope you enjoy the scones!
Can I use salted butter and then leave out the added salt?
Yes absolutely 🙂
I’ve been reminiscing of scones I used to have in Boston decades ago and have been craving a good scone for a long time. Your chocolate cherry scones sparked a beautiful memory of amazing scones I used to buy in the South End – now I can make them myself!
What a wonderful memory you have!
These were fabulous! Tender and delicious. Loved the flavor combination of chocolate, Almond and cherries. I dad a sugar topping instead of the alone glaze and it was still terrific!
Glad you loved them they are one of my faves 🙂
I’ve made these scones many times and they are always a HUGE hit!
I now use this as my basic recipe and have changed up the flavorings, but the cherry, chocolate and almond combo will always be my favorite!
I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying the recipe. And way to go for experimenting with different flavors!
Hi! These are the best scones! I used half and half for the heavy cream because it’s what I had on hand and it worked just fine. Added some toasted almond slices to the icing. Really love this recipe! Thanks so much!
I made these this morning so they would be perfect to have with a noontime glass of tea while I finished reading a book. There are fabulous! The texture is perfect, not at all dry, and that glaze just sends them over the top!
Aw thank you Adrienne! I’m so glad you loved them 🙂
I have never made scones before and it’s been on my bucket list for a long time. They certainly would be a nice treat for breakfast. Think I’ll make some this weekend.
Hi Marissa- you’ll love the simplicity of making scones you’ll wonder why you haven’t made them sooner!
These look AMAZING! Pinning these to make for brunch this weekend! Chocolate and cherry and almond are honestly my favorite combinations. 🙂
Thanks Tiffany!! You will love then these scones! Enjoy 🙂
Your updated photos look wonderful! Love the combination of cherry, chocolate, and almond. Perfect scones to accompany tea.
Oh thank you so much Tara!! 🙂 I knew unless I updated these photos no one would want to make them..now hopefully people are inspired!
Chocolate and cherries are the perfect flavor combination! This would be a hit for the holidays!
Thanks Karen!! Hope you like them!
Reading this recipe had my mouth watering. I’ve always loved the combination of cherry and chocolate! I will try these around the holidays. Thank you.
Oh you’re so welcome! Enjoy 🙂