Chocolate-cherry scones with cinnamon-orange butter
Servings 12scones
Author Lisa Fain
Ingredients
Ingredients for the chocolate cherry scones:
2cupsall-purpose flour
1/3cupcocoa powder
1tablespoonbaking powder
1/3cupgranulated sugar
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
8tablespoons1 stick well-chilled butter, cut into pieces
3/4cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4cupdried cherries
1tablespoonorange zest
3/4cuphalf-and-half
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
Raw sugar and powdered sugar for sprinkling
Ingredients for the cinnamon-orange butter:
8tablespoons1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
1tablespoonorange zest
2teaspoonsbrown sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425° F and grease a baking sheet or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cut the stick of butter into pieces, and work into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Stir in the chocolate chips, dried cherries and orange zest. Pour in the half-and-half and vanilla extract and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.
For neater scones, roll the dough out on a non-stick surface until it’s 1/4-inch thick and fold over. Using a cutter, (can use a glass or a cup if don’t have a biscuit cutter) cut out the scones from the dough. Roll out remaining scraps and repeat the process. Alternatively, you can simply spoon hand-sized balls of dough onto the greased sheet or skillet.
Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar and bake until lightly brown, about 15 minutes or until the edges are firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. While the scones are baking, make the cinnamon-orange butter by stirring together the butter, cinnamon orange zest and brown sugar until well combined. When scones are done, serve warm with the cinnamon orange butter.