Dried Cherry and Mahlab Scones ~ #Twelve Loaves

The theme for #Twelve Loaves is Cherries!  There is just something magical about the first cherry of the season.  We are not there yet so I decided to use dried cherries.  My adventure with yeast breads has been great, but time really got away from me this month, so I decided to make scones.

In addition to the dried cherries, I decided to add mahlab.  For those unfamiliar with this spice, mahlab, the pit of the sour cherry, and it has been used for centuries in the Middle East (especially in Turkey and Syria) as a sweet/sour, nutty addition to breads, cookies and biscuits - so these scones have double the cherry in them.

This recipe is my favorite scone recipe, developed back when I was trying to re-create a recipe from a local bakery.  I am happy to report that it works wonderfully with dried cherries, and I really wish that I had made a double batch. Oh well, there is always next time.

If you would like to know more about #TwelveLoaves and see what the others made for the Cherries theme please scroll down below the recipe.

Dried Cherry and Mahlab Scones
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup butter, cut into small pieces
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoons ground mahlab
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup milk
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup hot water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400℉.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.
3. Combine butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, mahlab, and salt in a bowl and cut with a pastry blender or two butter knives until crumbly (I like to use my hands for this).
4. Add dried cherries to the bowl.
5. Whisk milk into softened cream cheese, add egg and continue to whisk until well-combined. 
6. Stir cream cheese mixture into flour mixture until dough forms a ball - if the dough is a little wet sprinkle some additional flour on top and gently knead).
7. Using a large spoon or (ice cream scoop) drop mounds of dough onto a cookie sheet to make 8 scones.
8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden. 
9. While the scones are baking make the glaze by placing the powdered sugar in a small bowl, gradually add the hot water, and whisk until smooth. 
10. Once the scones are removed from the oven glaze them generously with this mixture, and allow to cool on the baking sheet.

Recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs.

#TwelveLoaves June: Cherries

The month of May was filled with the taste of savory onion breads. We have chosen cherries for our June theme!  Your bread of choice must include cherries in your recipe (fresh cherries, dried cherries, canned cherries, cherry jam or preserves). Whatever you bake, (yeasted, quick bread, crackers, muffins, braids, flatbreads, etc) have fun and let's have a delicious month of bread with CHERRIES. Let's get baking! If you are looking for inspiration check out all of the amazing recipes below ~

• Buns with Cherries and Beetroot wrapped in Bacon from Luisa of Rise of the Sourdough Preacher
• Cherry-Almond Focaccia from Lora of Cake Duchess
• Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls from Renee of Magnolia Days
• Cherry Almond Twists from Dionne of Try Anything Once Culinary
• Cherry English Muffins from Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cherry Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins from Alice of Hip Foodie Mom
• Cherry Cream Cheese Danish from Heather of girlichef
• Cherry Oatmeal Muffins from Kathya of Basic N Delicious
• Cherry Quick Bread from Holly of A Baker's House
• Cherry Sweet Bread Twist from Stacy of Food Lust People Love
• Cherry Swirl Overnight Sweet Rolls from Donna of Cookistry
• Double Cherry Muffins from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Gluten Free Cherry Almond Muffins with Streusel Topping from Sherron of Simply Gourmet
• Dried Cherry and Mahlab Scones from Felice of All That's Left Are the Crumbs
• Sweet Cherry Rolls with Almond Cream Cheese Glaze from Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Reneé

If you’d like to add your bread to the collection with the Linky Tool this month, here’s what you need to do!

1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone's posts. Please make sure that your bread is inspired by the theme!
2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.
3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this June, 2014 posted on your blog by June 30, 2014.

#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess.  #TwelveLoaves runs smoothly with the help of our friends. Thanks to the wonderful Renee Dobbs from Magnolia Days and Liz Berg from That Skinny Chick Can Bake for their help this month!