Cherry Oat Scones

 Last Sunday I had the most lovely afternoon at my friend Sarah's house.  We had tea and I made scones while she did some gardening.  It was wonderful to have a relaxing visit with good conversation and no stress before a long and hectic week.  It reminded me of my freshman year in college because that year I was living in the dorms and didn't have an oven.  That was depressing for me so I would go over to friends' houses and bake there.  Perhaps not surprisingly, none on my friends really seemed to mind having me disappear into their kitchens and return with baked goodies. 

These scones are very easy and tasty.  I love dried cherries, which are a little tart and a little sweet.  These are heartier scones, maybe not the proper British high tea scones I usually think of when I hear scones but delicious none-the-less.

 They also took less than 30 minutes to make, which is always nice.  The perfect thing to whip up for a Sunday afternoon snack after putting in your flowers in the garden.

Cherry Oat Scones

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
Zest of one lemon or orange (outer skin of lemon or orange)
2/3 cup buttermilk
1. In a large mixing bowl place the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and whisk to combine.
2. Add the butter and using two knives or a pastry blender cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the rolled oats, dried cranberries and zest. Mix until combined.
3. Stir in the buttermilk (adding more buttermilk if necessary) and mix just until the dough comes together.
4. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough four or five times and then pat, or roll, the dough into a circle that is 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 1 1/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut this circle into 8 triangular sections.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk or cream and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.
6. Bake in a 375 degress F oven for about 15 - 18 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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