Dried Cherry Buttermilk Scones.

I debated between posting this recipe today or the dessert I made for Father's Day, but ultimately, this was the one I decided on since my dad specifically requests them every year.  I don't remember when I first made dried cherry scones, but my dad decided they were his favorite breakfast treat ever since.  Luckily the recipe is extremely easy and delicious!

I honestly don't remember where this recipe came from, it's printed out on a piece of computer paper in my trusty recipe binder with many grease stains dotting the words, but I've made it so many times, I almost don't need it anymore.  The vanilla extract is key here, it gives the scones a lovely aroma and enhances the cherry's sweetness and tartness at the same time, but I've also made them with almond extract as well.  Tough to mess these up :)

Dried Cherry Buttermilk Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, or 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
2/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

For the (optional) topping:
2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup turbinado or demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and sugar.  Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until you can see small pea-sized chunks of butter.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla and buttermilk, then pour into the dry ingredients.  Stir with a fork until almost completely mixed, then add in the dried cherries and mix until the dough just starts to come together.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a circle, then cut 8-12 wedges, placing them on the baking sheet.

Brush the scones with milk, then sprinkle heavily with the turbinado or demerera sugar and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  They should be golden brown on top and feel light inside, or a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.  Let cool slightly, then enjoy!

 

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies.

In need of something chocolatey, gooey and delicious, I found this looking through recipes I've had printed out for a while and they're the perfect after-dinner chocolate fix if you also love the combination of chocolate and tart cherries.  I made the recipe as-is but next time I'd recommend chopping the cherries up so they're more evenly dispersed among the cookies.

 

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2/3 cup dried cherries

3 tablespoons chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a larger bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until well combined, then add the vanilla and egg and mix well.  Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then when almost everything is combined, add the cherries and chocolate chips and stir until they're incorporated.

Drop the dough by small tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, until just set.  Let cool on a wire rack but I do recommend eating at least one while still warm and gooey :)

Chocolate Espresso Dried Cherry Biscotti.

I love biscotti. You bake a batch and they can stay around the kitchen for a week or two (since they generally produce a large amount of cookies) and you don't have to worry about them not tasting as fresh as the first day, because if anything, biscotti just get better over time.

I make a different batch of biscotti about once a week and last week I was craving chocolate badly. I didn't want to just do plain chocolate biscotti so I added in a bit of espresso, dried cherries and toasted walnuts. The additions made these biscotti a bit harder to slice after the first baking, but in my opinion it was worth it! The flavor combination is lovely and pretty perfect when dipped into a steaming mug of black coffee in the morning (or even a cold glass of milk before bed). Perfect for the crisp, cold fall and winter mornings ahead!

Chocolate Espresso Dried Cherry Biscotti
Adapted from Good Housekeeping
3 large egg whites
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons strong coffee or espresso (I dissolved a tablespoon of instant espresso in 2 tablespoons of hot water)
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/3 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the egg whites, oil, and coffee or espresso in a small bowl.  Combine all the dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a larger bowl, whisking to make sure everything is combined.  Add the egg white mixture to the dry ingredients and stir in the nuts and cherries.

Divide the dough into two equal portions and form two logs on the baking sheet, each about 12 inches by 1 inch.  Flatten the dough a bit and place in the oven until the logs are firm, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let them cool AT LEAST 30 minutes, preferably almost completely before slicing. If you try slicing them before then, they will crumble horribly.  After they've cooled, cut each log into 1/2 inch slices and arrange the cookies on the baking sheet.  Bake in the oven again until they've crisped up, about 15-20 minutes longer.

Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.