Sour Cherry and Greek Yogurt Scones

This  recipe uses yogurt and a little olive oil instead of butter, which made me worry about the resulting texture.  I didn't want a soft, bready scone!  And while these are not as short as a traditional scone, they were much better than I'd feared.  The outside bakes up crusty, though the inside remains a little soft.

I followed the recipe as she suggested, using spelt (not sprouted) and whole wheat pastry flours.  However, I used dried tart cherries, and only 1/2 cup. (I should have used the whole cup) and sliced almonds instead of pistachios.  The other change was, because I didn't want to be bothered with honey butter, I added the 1/2 t cardamom right into the flour mixture for the scone.  They had a very light cardamom flavor, very subtle.  (The creator suggests that, as an alternative to the cardamom butter, add 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped sage into the flour mixture.) 

Here's what I used:

2 cups flour (half sprouted spelt and half whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cup pitted sour dried tart cherries
2 dozen shelled pistachios, chopped sliced almonds (about 3 tablespoons)
Cream or 1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  In a separate bowl whisk together oil, and yogurt. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture. Mix to combine.  Place dough on a well floured surface. Knead lightly to to incorporate all the flour, then mix in the cherries. Make a nice ball, being careful no to over handle the dough or the dough will be tough and pink. Flatten out the dough using your hand and make an 8 inch circle. Cut into 6 wedges. Brush with cream or beaten egg. Sprinkle with nuts and press them down lightly into the scones so they stick.  Transfer the scones to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour or cornmeal. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Cardamom honey butter
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

In a small bowl, mix butter, honey and cardamom to combine.

Conclusion:  I omitted the cardamom honey butter. These were delicious and simple.  I'll be making them again.

Recipe:  Sour cherry yogurt scones with cardamom honey butter via Stir It Up! at the Christian Science Monitor