Like half of the American population, I like eating on the go. It’s more of a necessity than anything; who really wakes up on time, anyway?

Scones have always been a personal favorite. They’re a nice alternative to the always-awesome muffin, and they go perfectly with a cup of joe in the morning. Over the many years I’ve been enjoying the little breakfast treat, I’ve found that a scone can be one of two breeds: the dry, dense english scone or the more flat, moist (almost muffin-top-ish) american scone. I’d like to think this recipe combines the best of both worlds…

2 c. flour
1 tbs. baking powder
3 tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
5 tbs. unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1 c. milk or cream
3/4 c. dried cherries
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 egg (for coating)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Cut in cold butter until it’s coarse. Add cherries, zest and orange juice to mixture. Stir in milk or cream until everything just starts to come together. Place on a floured surface and work into a ball. Press the mixture into a rectangular shape, then fold like a business letter (you can see exactly how I did it below). Press the dough down and repeat once more.

Roll out dough (should be approximately 1/2″ thick) and cut into triangles. Coat each scone with egg and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note for making superb scones: The rule of thumb? The less you play with the dough, the flakier it will be. That goes for anything which needs to be buttery and flakey… I thoroughly enjoy cherries and oranges together, but you could put whatever you want in the batter (raisins, cranberries… heck, even chocolate!). I cooked a handful of the scones and then wrapped the rest in plastic and put them in the freezer. The next time I’m on the run, I just pop one in the oven and I’ve got a steaming, delicious and fresh scone to take to work with me! FANTASTIC!