Dried Tart Cheery Scones

These scones are loaded with dried tart cherries and brightened with orange zest, giving each bite a fruity, citrusy punch against a buttery, tender base. They come together quickly and bake in about 20 minutes.

Cutting cold butter into the flour is what creates that flaky, layered texture. A food processor makes fast work of it, but a pastry cutter or two knives will do. You want the mixture to look like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible. Those bits of butter melt during baking and create steam pockets, which is how you get lift and flakiness.

The recipe includes a smart note about cutting the dough: use a sharp knife or biscuit cutter, not a glass. A glass presses and seals the edges, which prevents the scone from rising properly.

Pro Tips

• Keep the butter cold. If it starts softening while you work, pop the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes before continuing.
• Don’t overwork the dough. Mix just until it comes together into a ball. Tough scones come from too much handling.
• Roll to exactly ½ inch thick. Thinner and they’ll be dry and cracker-like. Thicker and the centers won’t bake through.
• Serve warm. These are at their best straight from the oven when the butter is still fragrant and the edges are crisp.

Variations

• Swap dried cherries for dried cranberries or blueberries.
• Replace orange zest with lemon zest for a different citrus angle.
• Brush the tops with cream and a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking for a bakery-style finish.