Improv Cooking Challenge: Cherry Almond Scones

The Improv Cooking Challenge is one of my favorite blog activities. I love the challenge of the different ingredients and looking at all the different thing my fellow bloggers submit. If you would like to learn more and be apart of the challenge visit Kirsten at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. The theme for this month is cherry and almond. I thought a dessert or baked good of some sort was appropriate. I saw this recipe for cherry almond scones from Tutti Dolci, and I knew it was perfect. This recipe is really easy and I love the warm plump cherries with the nutty almond flavors in the finished product.  The only thing I would adjust next time is the cooking temp and cooking time. My scone (I made 1 large 8 inch scone), was not done in the amount of time the recipe called for and I had to cook it a bit longer resulting in the bottom being a touch over done. Next time, I think I would decrease the temp and cook it a bit longer. Hope everyone is having a lovely week! Check out the next month: corn and butter! Yum!


Ingredients

2 cups plus 1 Tbsp flour, divided
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter
1 cup cherries, pitted and quartered
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1/4 tsp almond extract

Topping
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar (or raw sugar)


Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Dice butter into 1/2-inch pieces; sprinkle over flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to cut in evenly until mixture resembles coarse meal (I did not have this so I used a whisk).

Place cherries between layers of paper towels and press gently to remove moisture. Combine with 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss with a fork to coat. Add cherry mixture to flour mixture, folding in gently. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, and almond extract in a small bowl; add to flour mixture and fold in just until moist.

Use a floured bench scraper (I used a wooden spoon) to scrape dough out onto prepared baking sheet; lightly flour hands and pat dough into an 8-inch circle. Score into 12 wedges with bench scraper; sprinkle dough with sliced almonds and turbinado sugar. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then carefully transfer to wire rack to cool before slicing into wedges. Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 1 day and warm before serving.

Yield – 12 scones (serving size: 1 scone)

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