Dried Cherry and Cream Scones

This past summer my Mom and I fell in love with Woodyatt Cherries.  We bought tons of bags of them so that we would have enough over the winter and spring.  After eating them and using them for our recipes, we finally ran out of them in April.  Woodyatt has his cherries all year round and they are delicious on their own.  They are great in granola and scones! These scones make a great dessert and they are easy to make! Make sure to visit him at the Farmers Market and stock up for the year.  Hope you love them! 


Dried Cherry and Cream Scones
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1/2 cup sugar 
4 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1-1/4 cup butter chilled unsalted butter, cut in 1/2 inch pieces 
1 cup dried tart cherries  (Woodyatt)
2 large eggs, slightly beaten 
1 cup chilled half and half (or buttermilk)
1/2 cup chopped nuts such as pecans or almonds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Work in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the cherries.
2. Beat eggs and half and half together, then stir into flour mixture until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead gently, about 4-6 turns. Divide dough in half and pat each into a 7 inch round. Cut each round into 6 wedges; transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing the wedges apart. Sprinkle with additional sugar and nuts. (optional)
3. Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown and beginning to color on top.
4. They are great served warm with some local cherry preserves. Don't store in plastic bags since it tends to make them soggy. Just place on a cooling rack and cover with a clean dishtowel over night. Since this make 12 scones and we are only a family of three, we usually makes these to bring to a gathering but they also freeze well. Just pop them out of the freezer and into a toaster oven or warm oven for a few minutes.