Whole Wheat Cherry Almond Scones

Okay, so my mom may or may not be addicted to cherries. I’ll neither confirm or deny her addiction, but lets just say that it’s a fruit we ALWAYS have in our fridge. The same goes for almonds – she adds them to smoothies, salads, and pretty much everything. I don’t get it…but tis the season of family and love, so I thought it would be fun to combine those two ingredients to come up with a fun and festive baked good for breakfast (or a snack). Oh! And I’m entering this recipe into a contest through Hodgson Mill. Hopefully I’ll win!

I love that you can’t go wrong with making scones. Seriously. No one dislikes them. If you know someone who does, let me know so I can slap them across the face for their blasphemous thoughts (I kid…maybe)! Anyway, this recipe is delicious. The nutty whole wheat flour pairs beautifully with the crunchy almonds. When you take a bite, a burst of sweet, yet tart cherries makes everything taste so fresh. The scones have just the right balance of sweet and savoriness. Not to mention, they also have a fancy sounding name – whole wheat cherry almond scones. It just sounds delicious!

Want a fun tip? So we all know that December is filled with holiday party after holiday party. Well, whenever I sleep over after a party, instead of bringing a dish for the event, I often bring treats to enjoy in the morning. That way, the host doesn’t have to worry about feeding all their freeloading friends recovering from the night before. Take it from someone who’s hosted a PARTYYY or two in their day…morning after munchies are incredibly important. Bring these to your next soiree, brunch, or simple get together and you’ll be the star of the show. Have fun!

 **If anyone is curious, I use Hodgson Mill whole wheat flour and they currently have a $1 off coupon online! AND they have a contest where you can win some fun baking products…enter here :)**

1 cup whole wheat flour (Hodgson Mill)

1 cup white flour (Hodgson Mill)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter (cold)

1 cup cherries (pitted and quartered)

1/2 cup silvered almonds (toasted)

6 oz yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Milk (for brushing)

Sugar, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times so everything is mixed together. Dice the cold butter and add to the food processor. Pulse 6-10 times, or until the mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal. Put into a large bowl.

Add cherries and sliced almonds, mix until combined.

In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, egg, and vanilla extra. Add these wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine.

Dump dough onto a lightly floured flat surface. Knead gently for about 2 minutes, or until the dough comes together.

Gently roll dough out to around 1 inch – 1.5 inch thickness. Cut the dough like a pizza (in half lengthwise and widthwise until you have 8 triangles). Brush the top of each triangle with milk and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Put slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden.

Cool, drizzle with glaze (below), serve, and enjoy!

Glaze:

≈ 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

Almonds, to taste

Whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle scones with glaze and sprinkle on a few extra almonds to garnish.