Dried cherry scones are a simple treat for the post-holiday breakfast table

Scones are the answer. So simple to make, fairly quick to bake, and if you want to make the dough and pat it out into a circle the night before, you can pop them into the oven in the morning while you make a cup of coffee and stare at the pots soaking in the sink.

Scone tips

The dough for these scones is fairly sticky, so it benefits from a period of chilling in the fridge, at least two hours. If you’re in a rush, it can also hang out for 30 minutes in the freezer before baking. This allows the butter to remain very cold, and as it melts while baking, small air pockets form which give the scones a light, somewhat flaky texture. The chilling also firms up the dough and prevents it from spreading. Finally, this resting period allows the gluten in the flour to relax, resulting in a more tender product.

Since refrigerator or freezer space is often tight this time of year, you can chill the dough on a parchment-lined plate, since baking sheets are big and cumbersome.

If you don’t have a food processor, or just want to do this by hand, you can also cut the butter into the flour mixture using two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingers if you work quickly.

I love dried cherries and use them often in dishes both savory and sweet. They can be pricy though, so feel free to substitute other chopped or tiny dried fruit. Try these with dried cranberries or blueberries, or chopped dried apricots.

These scones are best eaten the day they are made, but you can store them for one or two days in an airtight container at room temperature. Warming them in a 300°F oven for a few minutes will refresh the texture and flavor.

Dried Cherry Scones

Servings: Makes 8 scones

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the work surface

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup dried cherries

1 cup half and half, plus more for brushing the scones

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To serve:

Butter, jam or jelly, clotted cream, and/or lemon curd

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Add the butter and pulse to blend until the biggest pieces of butter are pea-size but the mixture is not blended — you want it to be unevenly crumbly, with some little bits of cold butter throughout. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the dried cherries.

2. Mix together the half and half, egg yolk and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended. Slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork just until it comes together into a very soft, very sticky dough.

3. Very lightly flour a piece of parchment paper at least 12-by-12 inches and place it on a baking sheet or a large flat plate. (This will be going into your refrigerator, so choose whatever will fit). Turn the dough onto the floured surface, getting all of it out of the bowl. Lightly flour your hands and pat the dough into a 1-inch thick round. Chill the unbaked dough round in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or up to 12, or place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. Use a sharp knife to score the top of the dough (this means cut into it only about 1/4-inch deep, creating a line, but not cutting through the dough.) You want to create 8 even wedges (think of cutting a pizza pie). Brush the tops of the scones lightly with half and half. Bake for about 24 to 28 minutes until the top is golden brown and the scones are baked though.

6. Cool the scones on the baking sheet until warm or room temperature. Serve with the condiments of your choice.

Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.

For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes.