Sour Cherry and Chocolate scones

My daughter Kim presented me with an ice cream bucket of more cherries from her tree, and so decided to freeze enough for two pies over the winter for Dave and still had enough to make a few more things with.  I found this recipe online for sour cherry and chocolate scones, so made a batch this morning too and will probably freeze the remaining cherries for another day.  Kind of sick of making things with them right now..LOL.  Here is the recipe.  (they are good, would be really really good with a cup of good flavored or plain coffee)


It's from Adrianna Adarme, Fresh Tastes Blog:
3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

1/2 pound sour cherries or regular cherries, pitted and cut in 4th's   

6 ounces chocolate chunks or chips or morsels

1 cup buttermilk, plus about 2 tablespoons more for topping

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, as topping

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
3. Using a box grater, grate the butter into the dry ingredients and mix quickly, breaking up the butter so it resembles the size of small peas.
4. Add the cherries and toss so they’re evenly distributed throughout the flour. Next, do the same with the chocolate chunks or chips.
5. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and in one batch, add the buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix it together until it forms a shaggy ball. Drop the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead a few times, being sure to not over handle it, which will result in tough scones. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch thick disk. Using a knife, cut the scones into 8 equal triangles. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet and put in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes. At this time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
6. Brush the tops with the buttermilk and sprinkle with a bit of turbinado sugar. Transfer the scones to the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centers comes out clean and the scones are golden brown.

Yield: 8 scones

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TART/SOUR FRESH CHERRY PIE

I had some cherries, that I didn't use yesterday on the jam, left, so I made Dave a cherry pie.  He loves them.  It was raining out this morning too, so good excuse to not get outside and do the work I was supposed to be doing yesterday, but didn't.  I have made this recipe before with canned sour cherries, but never the fresh off the tree, but thinking/hoping it will be the same and not too sour.  Those are supposed to be unsweetened, so..it's baking while I write this, and it smells great so far!

The recipe I made for this is in the "Betty's Pies" favorite recipes cookbook from up on the North Shore,  with a few additions of my own.  It's a favorite of ours for pie and they have some good meals too. 

Here's the recipe!

TART/FRESH CHERRY PIE:

2 pie crusts (I made my recipe that is on this blog-just put "pie" in the search bar on top and it should come up for you)

Filling:
3-4 cups tart red cherries, washed and pitted or 2 cans tart red cherries drained.
1/4 tsp red food coloring (optional, but makes it pretty)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
2-1/2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp salt
butter (about 1 Tablespoon)

put one pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan.

COMBINE cherries, food coloring, almond extract, sugar, flour and salt in a bowl; mix well.  Spoon cherry mixture into pasty lined pie pan.  Dot with butter.

Roll out the other half of the pastry dough and either cover the cherry mixture or cut in strips and do a lattice crust.  seal the edges all around. if using the whole crust make slits in the top to vent. sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  cool on rack and get out the ice cream. 

Sour Cherry Jam

My daughter, Kim, has a sour cherry tree in her yard that is loaded with cherries this year.  She told me I was welcome to have some, so I went there today and picked enough for a batch of jam and hopefully for a cherry pie for my husband, Dave, tomorrow.  If I don't have enough I guess I know where I can find more because I barely tapped the amount on there.  Soon the birds and squirrels will be stealing them all, so decided I better work on that today before they are long gone this year. 

Here is the recipe I used for the jam.  I like the taste a lot and I definitely recommend using all of the sugar it calls for as the cherries themselves are still a little tart.  They might soak up more of the juice though and sweeten up as they cool.  I had to try some on a piece of toast and butter and the sauce is perfect for me. 

The only thing I did differently was add about 1/2 tsp (1 capful) of almond extract because I like that combination, but you don't have to do that if you don't want to.  I added it when I added the last 3 cups of sugar..

I made 6 half pint jelly jars so once we open a jar it gets used quicker, but the recipe says it makes 3 pint jars, so you can decide which works better for you.

BEST CHERRY PRESERVES:
2 lbs sour cherries, pitted (about 6 cups)
1 (3-1/2 ounce) box pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter
3 cups, plus 1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Sterilize your jars and screw on lids and keep them hot while you're cooking the preserves.  I just wash them in my dishwasher shortly before starting the process and leave them in there so they are hot.  Place your lids in a small kettle with enough water to cover them and heat water to soften them.
2.  Place pitted, washed, cherries in a large heavy duty dutch oven
3.  Combine pectin and 1/4 cup sugar.  Stir in to cherries.  Add butter.
4.  Bring to a full boil, stirring over high heat.
5.  Add the 3 more cups of sugar and return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for one minute.
6.  Remove from heat and skim off foam.
7.  Immediately spoon preserves into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
8.  Wipe the sealing surface of the jars with a dampened paper towel to remove any preserves etc from it.
9.  Place lids and screw bands on tightly.
10. Process in a canner/boiling water bath on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and place on a bath towel to cool and seal.  they should all pop and indent on their own..don't disturb them.  if they don't seal place in fridge and eat.  I use a jar lifter-don't burn yourself!!