Saturday Morning Scones

It's 8 a.m. and the girls are still fast asleep. Joe is in bed reading and I make a plan -- to bake some Sour Cream Cherry Scones and surprise everyone on Saturday morning! Ever so nonchalantly, I go downstairs without saying a word...

I've made these scones before and they're nice and simple. You don't even cut out the individual scones -- just make two big rounds, score with a knife and pop 'em in the oven.

I work fast so I can get them at least into the oven and smelling wonderful before the family starts wandering downstairs. First, mix up the two topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside for later.

Now, mix the dough. Start by mixing the dry ingredients with a whisk to combine.

To add the butter, start by cutting it into chunks...

... then cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter.  Scrape the pastry cutter every once in a while to get all the butter mixed in.  (You can also do this in the food processor with a metal blade and just pulse to cut in the butter.)

It's done when the mixture looks like coarse granules. I like to just reach my fingers in and search for any remaining big pieces. Just rub them through your fingers to break them up.

Now, mix the wet ingredients together with a spatula...

...and scrape the wet mixture into the flour-butter mixture.

Mix with a fork until combined. This will still look a little crumbly and dry.

Add the cherries and test to make sure the dough is wet enough to hold together, by squishing it down into the bowl with your hands.

After it's formed into a rough ball shape -- more like a lump! -- dump it out onto a cutting board. There might still be some loose flour, but that's fine -- it will all get mixed in when you knead.

Flour your board and hands as necessary, and give the scone dough 8 to 10 kneads. What a pretty dough! I can almost taste the sour cherries...

Now, just cut your dough in half and form into two 7-inch circles. I use a curved hand to shape the dough as I flatten to make a nice round shape.

If you want to be sure of the size, use a ruler to measure the diameter.

Place the two round pieces on a baking sheet and simply score into 8 scones. Cut at least half way down, but not to the pan, so they're easy to break apart after baking.

Great! No one is making a noise upstairs so I'm hoping these will make it into the oven before anyone notices my surprise...  Just need to sprinkle on the topping and gently press it into the tops, and the scones are ready to bake!

Once in the oven, I'm feeling confident that fairly soon I'll have a troop of sleepy-eyed kids and Dad out of bed and wondering what smells so heavenly...  While they bake, I do the dishes, cut up some melon, and get out the juice, butter and plates.

Finally, my older daughter arrives downstairs, just in time to see the scones come out of the oven, nice and lightly browned. Beautiful!

By the time Kate has alerted everyone to the good news and they're all gathered around the table, it's time to break apart the scones. It's actually rather fun!

These Sour Cream Cherry Scones are delicious; the tart cherries and rich sour cream make them a delight.

A very, very nice way to start the weekend. This recipe's a keeper! If you decide to try it, let me know by leaving me a comment. Or, rate the recipe and share your thoughts with other bakers.

Stop back in a few days when Becky makes a new version of strawberry shortcake.

Liz is paid to write for the Land O'Lakes Recipe Buzz™ Blog.