Tart Cherry Chocolate Chip Scones

Scones are usually dry affairs that need butter and jam to finish the trip. This recipes seems to come alive on its own from the first bite. Maybe it’s the lamination trick? Or the ganache striping? Try it and see for yourself.

Tart Cherry Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried tart cherries (Whole Foods carries these)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking power

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup confections sugar, sifted

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

6 tbsp butter (3 oz, 85g)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

8 3/4 oz. chopped dark chocolate (about 1 1/4 cups)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cube the butter and refrigerate or freeze for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.

Scatter butter cubes into flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is reduced to pea-sized pieces only. Stir in the confectioners sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla together until smooth.

Pour the wet egg mixture over the dry flour mixture. Add the cherries and chopped dark chocolate. Stir to combine until just a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a floured work surface.

Form dough into a disc. Using a bench scraper or spatula, fold half the disc over onto itself. Turn 1/4 turn and re-form folded dough into a round disc. This is 1 fold. Repeat this 5 more times, for a total of 6 folds. Lightly re-flour the surface as you go, and frequently lift the dough to ensure the bottom is not sticking to the surface, scraping any stuck bits back onto the disc.

Press the dough into a 7 1/2” diameter disc. Press the palm of your hand around the outer edge of the disc to form a clean vertical edge all around.

Cut the disc into 6 pie shaped wedges.

Place the wedges onto a parchment lined baking sheets, evenly spaced apart, at least 3 inches.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown and set. It will be firm and slightly springy to the touch.

Cool for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

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Chocolate Ganache stripes

Ingredients

4 oz. dark chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Heat cream in small sauce pan until just boiling. Remove from heat.

Pour cream over chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds. Stir gently until completely combined and smooth.

Transfer to squeezy bottle, or to any container with a pouring lip.

Set aside to cool to room temperature.

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Assembly

Instructions

Stripe the ganache across the scones while on the rack, to allow excess to drip away.

You can stripe just half the scone, or the entire thing, depending on your preference.