Cherry Amaretto Scones

It has been a while since I've shared a home recipe with ya'll!  A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of interviewing Case Samuel from Sunrise Fresh Dried Fruit Company for our new podcast, The Whisk. Case is a 4th generation farmer for his family's farm in California and currently serves as the VP of Sales for his family's business, Sunrise Fresh. He was incredibly generous and sent us a box FULL of some of their dried fruits! Rainier Dried Cherries, Dried Blueberries, Dried Peaches, Dried Tart Apples and Dried Pears. 

One of the things I LOVE about Sunrise Fresh (other than their family's history in farming) is that there is literally NOTHING else added to their fruit! No sulfites to to enhance the color, no preservatives, no added sugar...NOTHING extra! The ONLY ingredient in their dried fruit is the fruit itself! (Note: This is also the reason that the glaze in the recipe below is almost brown rather than pink or red...so thankful for no added dyes!)

When I opened the box of fruit last night I knew I had to bake with the cherries today! I created this Amaretto Cherry Scone recipe for you to enjoy! Before you bake them...be sure to jump on Amazon and buy a bag of their Rainier cherries! 

​XOXO, Melissa

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Cherry Amaretto Scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tbsp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, frozen for about 20 min
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 2-3 tbsp for brushing
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1.5 cups Sunrise Fresh Rainier Dried Cherries

Glaze:
1/4 cups Sunrise Fresh Rainier Dried Cherries
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
1 tsp pure almond extract
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Whisk first four ingredients (leave the additional 2 tbsp flour to the side for step 3) together in a large stainless or glass bowl. With a coarse cheese grater, grate the butter over the flour mixture and lightly mix with your fingers. Place bowl in fridge while working on the next step.

2. Whisk together the cream, egg and almond extract in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Place cherries in a bowl and toss with 2 tbsp sugar. This will prevent the cherries from sticking to each other.

4. Remove flour mixture from the fridge and mix the cream mixture and cherries into the flour and mix with a sturdy wooden spoon until a dough ball has formed. 

5. On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough ball out in a flattened 8" circle. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges.

6. Using parchment paper or a silicone mat on a heavy baking sheet, evenly space the scone wedges about 2" apart. Lightly brush with remaining heavy cream. Bake for 16-24 minutes, until golden brown. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate the baking sheet half way through baking. 

7. While the scones are in the oven-- place 1/4 cup dried cherries with remaining cream and almond extract in a food processor. Process until cherries are fine and lump free. Then whisk the cherry mixture in a small bowl with the powdered sugar until lump free. If the glaze is too runny or thick you'll need to either add a little more cream or powdered sugar (the humidity in your home can play a part in this).

8. Once the scones are out of the oven, drizzle the glaze over the scones with a piping bag or a freezer bag with the tip cut off.

​Enjoy!