These crispy, crumbly, buttery scones were a favorite at the bakery I ran. We made 40 quarts of scone dough, 3-6 times a week for almost 10 years. Fifteen years later, people still walk up to me on the street and rave about the scones. The secret to the perfect texture is how you cut the butter, similar to how you would for a shortbread or pie dough.  The dried sweetened cherries add extra special sweet and sour chew, with a hint of caramelization around the edges.

You can do the mixing in a large bowl, a food processor, or stand mixer. This recipe will make one large disc that can be sliced into 6 large scones. Alternatively, each large scone can be cut into three triangles for 18 mini scones. You can shape them any way you like, but this recipe details how we made them at our bakery. The dough also keeps very well in the freezer, so don’t hesitate to make extra to have on hand for breakfast or  a quick treat!