Homemade scones are one of life's simplest pleasures, and this easy recipe for Cherry Scones might just become your new weekend favourite. Packed with tart cherries and sweet white chocolate chips, these Cherry White Chocolate Scones strike just the right balance between indulgent and comforting.
Jump to:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!
This recipe was born after I made a batch of sourdough cherry scones that turned out so well, I knew I had to share them - but not everyone keeps a sourdough starter. So, I set out to create a version that delivers the same tender crumb and rich flavour, without the starter. These Cherry White Chocolate Scones are the result: all the goodness, none of the starter.
Ingredient Notes
Here's everything you will need to make these Cherry Scones With White Chocolate Chips:
- plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour.
- caster sugar: or granulated sugar. We tend to use finer sugar in the dough and coarse sugar (granulated or demerara) for the tops of the scones.
- baking powder.
- salt.
- unsalted butter: use very cold unsalted butter - frozen, for best results! It stays solid while you mix, creating little pockets of steam as it melts in the oven. This helps the cherry scones rise beautifully and gives them their signature flaky texture.
- egg: large in the UK, or extra large in the US.
- double cream (heavy cream): or buttermilk, sour cream, or milk kefir. All work beautifully.
- vanilla bean paste: or vanilla extract.
- white chocolate chips: but you can always experiment with dark chocolate - it goes well with cherries too!
- dried cherries: or glace cherries. We used a mixture of black and sour cherries. Next time, try this recipe with dried cranberries!
Find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Coarsely grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients, using a box grater, and combine by rubbing the butter into the flour mixture lightly; you want to keep some larger bits of butter in the dough.
4. Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips.
5. In a separate medium bowl, or a jug, lightly whisk the egg, vanilla bean paste and cream.
6. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix gently to combine. Knead just enough for the dough to come together. If it's very dry, add a little more cream. Be careful not to overknead, though, to avoid dense scones.
7. Tip the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together into a mound using your hands.
8. Press the dough out with your fingers into a thick circle around 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter.
9. Use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut the dough into eight equal wedges, or use a round 6.5 cm (2.5 inch) cookie cutter.
10. Brush the tops of the scones with cream or milk, then sprinkle over a little coarse sugar.
11. Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
12. Place scones in the preheated oven for 15-16 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving (they're best slightly warm, though).
Tips For Best Results
- Use cold ingredients (especially cold butter and cream) to keep the dough firm and help create those signature tender scones.
- Don't let the butter melt - if you're using fridge-cold butter, use a pastry cutter or food processor to rub it into the flour quickly and avoid warming it up with your hands.
- If making these in cherry season, you can substitute fresh cherries (halved or chopped), or use frozen cherries; just don't thaw them and dab them with paper towels before adding to the dough to prevent excess moisture.
- Handle the dough as little as possible and work quickly to preserve the buttery layers and light texture.
Serving Suggestions
These sweet scones are best enjoyed freshly baked, just warmer than room temperature, when the white chocolate is still a little melty and the texture is perfectly tender.
Serve them as a perfect breakfast treat, with a cup of coffee, or as part of an afternoon tea spread.
Storage
To keep your cherry scones fresh, store any leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, they can be frozen and gently reheated in the oven to bring back that just-baked texture.
More Scone Recipes
If you love baking delicious scones at home, you'll definitely want to try some of our other favourite recipes next.
White Chocolate Cherry Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g (2⅖ cups) plain flour all -purpose flour
- 100 g (⅘ cups) caster sugar* or granulated sugar, plus extra for topping
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100 g (3.53 oz) unsalted butter frozen
- 1 egg large
- 80 g (⅓ cups) double cream heavy cream plus extra for brushing
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
- 100 g (½ cups) white chocolate chips
- 80 g (⅔ cups) dried cherries or glace cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- Coarsely grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients and combine by rubbing the butter into the flour lightly, you want to keep some larger bits of butter in the dough.
- Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips.
- In a separate bowl, or a jug, lightly whisk the egg, vanilla bean paste and cream.
- Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix gently to combine. Mix gently just until the dough comes together-avoid kneading, as overworking the dough can make the scones tough. If it's very dry, add a little more cream.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together into a mound using your hands.
- Press the dough out with your fingers into a rough 20 cm (8-inch) circle.
- Use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut the dough into eight equal wedges or use a round 6.5 cm (2.5 inch) cookie cutter.
- Transfer the scones to a lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
- Brush the tops with cream or milk, then sprinkle over a little sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving (they truly shine when still slightly warm).
Notes
Leave a Reply