If you think scones are dry, hard and better suited for use as a doorstop than an afternoon snack… then you haven’t tried these scones.

These are flaky, tender, buttery, full of cherries and toasted pecans. They’re perfect for tea, or for brunch, or for anytime you want something delicious.

 

They’re also easy — and fast — to throw together. Perfect for a low-stress breakfast or brunch.

This recipe came from my grandmother, who would wake up to bake scones and make eggs whenever anyone stayed at her house. And they are seriously the best scones ever. You don’t necessarily have to use cherries and pecans (although it is a particularly awesome combination), but you should try to incorporate some mix of dried fruit and toasted nuts. It just makes them that much better.

You may notice that the method is similar to biscuits, though it’s actually easier. And you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard right now!

It seems you’ll have to look elsewhere for a doorstop.

Cherry-pecan scones (Adapted from my grandmother, makes 8 large or 16 small scones)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Toast the pecans by placing them in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring or swirling occasionally, until they smell nutty. Set aside to cool.

Cut the butter into small pieces and keep in fridge or freezer while preparing other ingredients. Preheat oven to 375.

Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut/blend the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles dry crumbs. Stir in the cherries and toasted pecans.

With a fork, quickly stir in 1 cup heavy cream until the flour is just moistened (if there is still a lot of dry flour left, add another tablespoon of cream). Gather the dough together into a ball with your hands and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 5 or 6 times.

For large scones, gently press dough into an 8×8 square cake pan. Turn the square of dough back out onto the lightly floured surface and cut it like a pizza to make 8 triangles (I usually use a butter knife for this).

For small scones, divide dough in half. Form one half into a circle and pat it down to about a 1-inch thick round, then cut it into 6 or 8 wedges. Repeat with the other half.

Regardless of size, place the scones one inch (or more) apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops lightly with remaining cream. Bake until scones look cooked through and are starting to turn golden brown around the edges — about 12 minutes for small scones or about 20 minutes for large scones.