There are a number of things about cooking that get me excited, but what really pumps me up is when I get the opportunity to play with ingredients I’ve never used before. Which is why I was thrilled when I received a box of “mystery ingredients” last week from Marx Food for their Ridiculously Delicious Challenge. The box arrived at Eric’s office in the middle of the work day, so he sent me a picture from his phone of the contents.
I was thrilled to see the variety of ingredients that were included… szechuan peppercorns, dill pollen, juniper berries. But what immediately jumped out at me were a bag of dried tart cherries and a tiny container of saffron threads.
Now, I’ve had many occasions to work with dried cherries (which I love), but saffron was a different story. So before cooking with it, I decided to do a little research.
Saffron threads come from the flower of the saffron crocus plant. Based on everything that I’ve read, it appears that the saffron crocus is very temperamental and does particularly well in the hot, dry climates of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean, hence its popularity in such places as Spain, Italy, and Turkey. They are cultivated by extracting the threads from the blossoms, which is an incredibly labor intensive process. Once the saffron plant has bloomed, the three threads are carefully removed from the center of the flower.
The pairing of saffron, with its slightly floral notes, along with chocolate and cherries seemed like a natural one. Now I could have done a number of things with this: a chocolate souffle with a cherry compote or some handmade truffles. But I was worried that if it wasn’t handled correctly, the saffron be overpowered by the other ingredients. Whatever I was going to make needed to have balance. And that’s when the idea of scones popped into my head.
Scones have always had a calming effect on me and I feel lost when a weekend goes by without a fresh batch in the oven. What I’ve always enjoyed about scones, even more so than muffins or any other breakfast pastry, is how they let the ingredients shine. A good scone isn’t overly sweet and it allows all of the components to have their moment. It’s all about balance.
And with that I leave you with my recipe for Chocolate Cherry Scones with Saffron, which is my second entry for the Marx Food challenge (you will be able to vote for this recipe on their site from March 1st through March 4th). Even if you can’t get your hands on saffron (it’s pretty expensive), the base for these scones will work with other ingredients (blueberries, cranberries, or just a bunch of chocolate chunks).
Chocolate Cherry Scones with Saffron
Makes 8-10 scones
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of saffron
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped into small chunks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions
Place rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the first five ingredients. Crumble the saffron threads in your hand and add them to the dry mixture. Add the butter to the bowl and, using two knives or a pastry blender (you can even just give it a couple pulses in the food processor), cut into the dry ingredients until the butter has mixed in. Add the chocolate chunks and cherries.
Mix together the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla in a bowl. Slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients, whisking to make sure it is fully incorporated. If the dough looks like it is moist enough, you can leave out a little of the liquid.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a couple of times. Flatten the dough out until it is about 1 1/2 inches thick (should be about 8 or so inches wide). Cut into 8 to 10 triangles and transfer the wedges to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
Brush the top of each scone with a little bit of the heavy cream. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Let cool on wire rack and enjoy!
64 comments
Nice combination of cherries and saffron- sweet and earthy notes. I see eating these with a nice cup of tea.
Not something that I would have though to pair, however I’m really intrigued! I have both in my pantry and just may have to put the together and see for myself. Nicely done!
Intrigued my the saffron addition…I share your appreciation for the good weekend scone’s low-key flavours. Will think about adding in some of my precious “threads” next time!
Mmnn. . . I LOVES me some scones, especially when they have spices that are worth more than their weight in gold in them!
Me pregunto sobre la naturaleza de gourmet-ismo. . . ¿Puede ser moral y éticamente defendido? ¿Es simplemente la gula con otro nombre? ¿Es hiper-consumismo?
I have never used saffron before but I’d love to try it in these scones. What an intriguing combination.
I absolutely adore saffron and you’ll find many recipes on WFLH with saffron. But here is one I think I will be trying soon – cherry and saffron = big heart!
What a creative way to use saffron! I would love to receive a mystery box full of ingredients, that sounds like fun. Just a boxful of recipes waiting to happen!
Brian, what a great looking scone. Love the flavour combintation too! I love tart cherries combined with chocolate and saffron is such an interesting pairing that I’d love to try bite. Great post!
I am all about this recipe! Last summer, I made a saffron chai-tea cookie with cranberries and pistachios and realized how amazingly good saffron is in sweet baked goods! Thanks for sharing!
Gorgeous scones…and I bet adding saffron gave a lovely undertone~
The flavours in this scone sound simply beautiful, I especially like the sound of the cherries paired with the saffron. These would make a delicious breakfast
Beautiful and delicious! Cherries and chocolate are a perfect pair. They look/sound fantastic in this scone. I’d never think to add in saffron, but now I have to give it a try
Chocolate and cherries are a wonderful combination – and I can only imagine the depth that the saffron adds. Very nice!
yep – you hit the ball out of the park with this one Brian . . . chocolate, cherries and saffron = happy tummy indeed . . . these, and a latte and i’m set for the weekend!
Oh my – those dried cherries look outstanding! You are so creative – I never would have thought of saffron in a scone, but why not?
The addition of saffron to this scone brings it to another level! Simply lovely Brian.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Maggie Battista, anita menon. anita menon said: Saffron is a fav in the Middle East.Ingenious. @MyFoodThoughts {Chocolate Cherry Scones with Saffron} – http://goo.gl/kMcOD via @Shareaholic [...]
What a great combination! Good luck with the food challenge!
Brilliant to use it in a scone. I bet those were pretty darn tasty! Good luck in the contest!
Interesting. Marx sent me a few products to try and I’ve been struggling with how to combine them with chocolate so I can review them. They sent me mushrooms and chili peppers — not something I normally think of with chocolate and I’m struggling to find any feasible recipes.
That recipe is awesome!
Definitely not something I would have thought of! Beautiful scones.
Hey Bri, Saffron grabbed my attention. Pics look very attractive. Isn’t it amazing how little pinch of saffron carries a dish/recipe a long way?! Nice!!
These look great! I want to hunt down saffron just so I can understand what these might taste like. and thank you for including a description of where saffron comes from/what it is.
Sounds like you’ve got more fun ahead with the other contents of that box. Great mix of tastes in your scones. Never thought of adding saffron to a sweet pastry.
These scones sound so easy yet so chic! Chocolate cherry and saffron…seems like a food gift to a goodess! I have never tried such a trio of ingredients. On my wish-to-bake-soon-list!
Very interesting combination…the chocolate and cherry not so much but saffron which I think of for savory dishes (that is when I decide to mortgage my home and buy some) but you’re right, on it’s own it is floral…so nice call!
Brian, what a smart combination! Sara is right, it is very chic – what a wonderful way to use your box of loot!
Very intriguing combination of flavors! And your scones came out so beautiful!
Sounds lovely! Saffron is kinda tricky 2 use, far 2 easy to abuse… It is quite an interesting spice though!
I’m dying to try them in some medieval recipes ;p
By the way, if you do not use those grains of paradise send them over
Ooh… These are intriguing to me. I never would have thought to pair saffron with the chocolate and cherries. That said, it sounds really good!
Chocolate Cherry and Saffron! I am sold. Lovely lovely combination Brian and I want some with my cuppa.
What an intriguing flavor combination. Although I never thought of adding saffron to a sweet, I’ll bet it’s really nice, especially with the tart cherries…
I would love to do some experimenting with saffron, smells so great!
Ooo cherries and saffron – what a creative pairing! Also, what an awesome box of loot – I love Szechuan peppercorns but what are you going to do with juniper berries?
Those look so yummy! Totally something I could see myself eating with a giant cup of coffee!!
Nothing like scones and tea. And these sound especially good, I’m intrigued by the saffron!
Love the saffron in there. Your scones look delicious. You’ve got me on a hunt now for dried cherries!
wow! these scones look amazing… i love how you added saffron to it..that is very creative! thank you for sharing this and have a great weekend ahead.
What a fun package to receive! I love the use of saffron in these scones… I typically think of it being used in more savory dishes. I’ll definitely vote… just remind me!
Hi Bri-These look incredible. I love dried cherries and can only imagine how good it is with saffron. My favorite shot is the one of the saffron…stunning!:)Hope you and E have a nice weekend.
I would have never thought of baking with saffron but these scones sound amazing! And can we talk about how amazing your pic are! Love them.
What gorgeous scones! I love chocolate and cherries together but would have never throught to add saffron. You’re so creative with your recipes!
Love eating scones for breakfast! I’ve got to try your recipe! It just sound so delicious!Thanks for sharing!!!
Wow, what a unique use for saffron! I bet the flavor combination is just magical. Thank you for sharing these scrumptious scones and the recipe.
Chocolate scones with saffron….that’s something I probably wouldn’t have thought of putting together…what a brilliant idea!
I really wanted to do a sweet recipe for this challenge but then when I saw what the next part would be, I thought I would save myself for that
These scones look fantastic! I’ve never really dabbled much in saffron before and it’s so fun to see it used and allowed to really shine!
I always think of you when I make or eat scones…and that, my friend, is a good association to have. I haven’t done much with saffron either, but I listened to a great segment on NPR the other week (speaking of NPR, I saw that article on Boston’s network….congrats!) Thanks for sharing, sweet friend. I hope you have a splendid weekend full of sleep, laughter and love!
hi Brian
you do make the perfect scone….and you my friend are a master at combining flavors….what a wonderful idea adding saffron to baked goods….I think the cost keeps us from using it more, but I have a tin of saffron just begging to be used…..
thanks so much for the inspiration!
Dennis
Saffron is such an unusual ingredient in these!
What an amazing combination! I love scones . . . can’t wait to try this recipe!
Definitely a delicious creation from the box
It’s amazing how versatile saffron is, i tried it in a peach ice cream this summer!
Nice use of the saffron! A lot of us used cherries, but yours is the first that I’ve seen so far that used saffron. The scones look really good, too. Nice job, and good luck with the contest!
These look fantastic! You have my vote!
They look great.
I love the combination
Another delicious way to use those now nearly-non-existent cherries! (They’re SO GOOD!) I love scones, too- what a great combo!
When I need something really comforting (and unhealthy) to
my tea, I always choose scones! And this recipe, oh my, it looks so yummy! love the cranberry saffron combo!
Did I write cranberries…? I of course meant cherries…!
I kind of liked the idea of cranberries. Maybe sweetened though. Will have to give it a try!
[...] of a variety of sugars and spices, which were a blast to work with. The first recipe I made was a Chocolate-Cherry Scone with Saffron and the second recipe was for Chermoula Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa, both turned out to be quite a [...]
[...] BSI with the secret ingredient of cherries, more details here on BSI and also check out the Chocolate Cherry Scones recipe. TweetShare This entry was posted in Kitchen and tagged Recipes. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
What a great recipe, this will be my go to scone recipe from now on. Love this flavor combo and the texture/flavor of the scones. Thanks!
[...] that this is a recipe that does not disappoint. I’ve used it to make everything from chocolate cherry scones to savory scones and now this recipe for peach scones. It has just the right amount of sugar, and [...]