Go Back
+ servings
CHerry and almond scone with jam and clotted cream.
Print Pin
5 from 7 votes

Cherry and Almond Scones

These easy cherry and almond scones are the perfect tea-time treat!
Course Baking
Cuisine British
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 407kcal
Author Beth Sachs

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Baking Sheets

Ingredients

  • 450 g Self Raising Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 100 g Butter cubed and fridge cold
  • 50 g Caster Sugar
  • 300 ml Buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 120 g Glacé Cherries
  • 3 tablespoon Milk for glazing

Optional

  • 2 tablespoon Demerara Sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Flaked Almonds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 220°c (200 fan/ Gas 7) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the bicarbonate of soda and salt
    450 g Self Raising Flour, 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
  • Rub the cold cubed butter in with your hands until you get a breadcrumb consistency.
    100 g Butter
  • Stir in the sugar with a metal knife.
    50 g Caster Sugar
  • Add the buttermilk to the flour, along with the glace cherries and almond extract. Use the metal knife to mix it in.
    300 ml Buttermilk, 1 teaspoon Almond Extract, 120 g Glacé Cherries
  • Use your hands to form a dough, handling it as little as possible. You don't want the dough to get warm.
  • Flour a worktop or wooden board and using your hands (no need for a rolling pin), shape it into a round, about 4cm thick. Use a biscuit cutter to stamp out the scones (try not to twist the cutter otherwise the tops will bake unevenly). Depending on the size of the biscuit cutter, you should get around 8-10 scones from the recipe (I personally find a 5cm cutter works best). You'll need to reform the dough a few times to get the maximum amount of scones from the dough.
  • Place the scones on a non-stick baking tray (you can line your baking tray if you wish) and glaze the tops with milk, and sprinkle with flaked almonds and demerara sugar, if using. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
    3 tablespoon Milk, 2 tablespoon Demerara Sugar, 2 tablespoon Flaked Almonds

Notes

Top Tips:
  • If you can't get hold of buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk by squeezing some lemon juice into milk and leaving it to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before using it. The buttermilk helps the scones to become light and fluffy. 
  • 💡 Pro Tip: Homemade buttermilk is thinner than commercially produced buttermilk. You may not need to use the full amount as it could make your dough too thin and sticky. If using homemade buttermilk, add half the amount to start with and gradually add more if needed in order to make a soft dough.
  • Always use cold cubed butter straight from the fridge. If you try to rub in soft warm butter you will be left with a sticky mess. Cold butter helps to keep the dough cool and gives the scones the perfect flakey texture once baked.
  • You don't need a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Just shape it with your hands for rustic-looking scones.
  • Feel free to halve the glacé cherries, but if you don't have time, don't worry. I quite like finding big chunky whole cherries in my scone!
  • For sweet scones, I prefer to use the fluted edge of the biscuit cutter.
 
Variations:
  • Use wholemeal self-raising flour or half wholemeal and half white.
  • Instead of using glacé cherries, try using dried cherries or fresh pitted cherries. If using fresh cherries you will need to increase the amount of sugar in the recipe to 100g.
  • Sprinkle the tops of the scones with demerara sugar and flaked almonds before baking, for an extra special crunchy topping.
  • Add in 50g of dark chocolate chips for cherry and chocolate scones.
  • Don't like almonds? Swap with vanilla extract instead and make cherry and vanilla scones.
 
Storage:
Scones are best eaten fresh out of the oven, whilst still warm.
  • To Store. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat. Sprinkle the scones with a little water and pop back into a hot oven for a few minutes to warm through.
  • To Freeze. Scones freeze really well. Place the cooled scones into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and reheat in the oven or microwave.
 
Nutrition:
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
 
Nutrition Facts
Cherry and Almond Scones
Amount per Serving
Calories
407
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
10
g
15
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
5
mg
2
%
Sodium
 
326
mg
14
%
Potassium
 
151
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
 
68
g
23
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
19
g
21
%
Protein
 
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
 
79
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
83
mg
8
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter