Gingerbread Scones with Dried Cherries and Dark Chocolate
Andy Williams once poetically sang; “Its the most wonderful time of the year”. And, he’s right. Seasonly themed music blaring from the radios, television shows and movies dedicated to your favorite time of year, holiday parties and family get togethers, overindulgence at it’s very best in forms of all things sugar. Cookie swaps in abundance and hot chocolate flowing like water. Crackling fireplaces and perfectly wrapped presents. The taste of peppermint lingering on your tongue for days
and the night time drives watching the most perfectly lit houses as you pass, stopping to smile at the most beautiful. It’s enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. After all Mr. Williams did say; “It’s the hap happiest season of all”.
We gorge ourselves on sugary treats and make excuses for each cookie, chocolate and candy cane we stuff in our mouth. I think the sugar rush helps everyone with this hap happy feeling. Sugar rush and these gingerbread scones. Which happen to only have a 1/2 cup brown sugar in the whole batch. So, go ahead, have two…or three.
This recipe was originally created for the French online cooking magazine, Goosto. When approached by them to create some Christmas recipes, I was super excited. I think the occasional gingerbread house was the only Christmasy thing I have ever made. And, that was back about 20 years ago (ack!). I equate Christmas with all things gingerbread and that flavor was the inspiration for this recipe. I substituted silan (date honey) for molasses and the dark caramel taste of the silan added that depth of flavor that would have otherwise come from the molasses. The addition of dried cherries and dark chocolate chips just seemed like the right thing to do.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1⁄2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
1⁄4 cup milk
4 tablespoons silan (date honey)
1 egg
1⁄2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Add the butter and combine using a metal spoon until mixture resembles coarse meal and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat together milk, date honey and egg until combined. Add the flour mixture along with the dried cherries and dark chocolate chips to the milk mixture.
Combine until dough is formed.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a disk about 2.5cm.
Cut dough into 8 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake scones for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
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I bought some fresh cranberries today and was wondering what to do with them. Scones!!! These look lovely, did you use wholemeal flour or is the colour from the date syrup? So glad to have found you this year, Happy Holidays Beth!! x
Thanks so much Natalie! I am glad to have found you too! The color comes from the date syrup. I used just plain old flour for this!
Beautiful scones and perfect flavors for the holidays! Love your photos, too! I’ve never heard of date honey, but will seek it out next time I shop for groceries. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Lynne! You can possibly find date honey in a middle eastern market. It is called silan!
You have brought together some of my favorite flavors-chocolate and cherries! These scones do look wonderfully rustic and tasty. Definitely something I could enjoy for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Amazing photos here-great post!
I hope you have a wonderful as well as memorable holiday -enjoy!
Thanks Tina! I also love chocolate and cherries together. Its just one of those perfect combinations!
I happen to have a bunch of dried cherries right now! This is absolutely perfect. This is the most wonderful time of the year, and I will celebrate it with these wonderful scones.
You must make these if you have dried cherries! They are amazingggg!
It’s nice to see a less sweet treat that still has all of the flavors of Christmas. These look beautiful!
Thanks Kristen! Its a nice change from all those super sugary treats!
happy holidays
delicious looking scones
Thanks!! Happy Holidays!
Thanks for fixing the email subscription Beth! These scones look delicious. I’ve never had scones that hve cherries in them…curious how they taste like. Happy Holidays!!
Happy Holidays Nami! Hope you enjoyed every minute with your family!
Oh, these look fabulous! I swear if you put dried cherries in any baked good, I’m in love with it!!! Happy Holidays, Beth!
Happy Holidays Liz! Hope you enjoyed some time with your family! I also love anything with dried cherries!
Ohh gingerbread scones? That sounds so good! Anything gingerbread is delicious
These are a perfect fit for a gingerbread flavor craving !
Your photos are beautiful and these scones sound heavenly
! Now i am curious about date honey!
Thanks so much Amy! You can find date honey in a middle eastern market or probably on amazon(?).
Yum! I would just leave out the chocolate =)
Where do you find date honey? I’ve never heard of it but I’m curious!
Date honey is a staple here in Israel. Every supermarket has it! You can try a middle eastern grocer!
These are gorgeous scones, I love the flavors…couldn’t be more perfect this time of year!
Thanks Cassie!! Happy Holidays!
Mmm. I could definitely handle a few of these.
It is very hard to have just one!
This looks delicious! Cherries and Chocolate are absolutely yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, cherries and chocolate are perfect together!
Delicioso! Where can I get silan???? I’m intrigued!
You can try a middle eastern market. I would think they would have it!
I just love how they look I can’t wait to make them
Thank you! They are so pretty arent they?!
These look absolutely delicious… I love love love dark chocolate. And scones. Dark chocolate in scones. Yes, I like that a lot.
Hahah Thanks Katie!!