Cherry Banana Almond Scones

I'm on a scone kick.  I love them!  After those white chocolate almond scones, I've decided I want to start selling scones at our local farmer's market.  Seriously.  They rock.  They are easy.  They are delicious.  They make me smile.  I started typing in flavor combinations (apple + almond, pumpkin + ginger, hazelnut + chocolate) and there are a TON of recipes out there.


Scones are popular in the U.K., but they've become quite trendy in the U.S. over the past several years.  Do you know how the word 'scone' is pronounced?  Apparently, 2/3 of the British population pronounce 'scone' like 'SKON' as though the word rhymes with 'John' instead of 'Joan'.  British dictionaries prefer the SKON form as the preferred pronunciation, but it does recognize that people pronounce it the other way.  Thank you, Wikipedia!  I'll start pronouncing scone correctly from now on.  I really need to start figuring out how to pronounce these things before I take my orders into the public.  I can't even begin to tell you how bad I butchered edamame (pronounced ed-ah-mah-may) when trying to order a salad at the counter one day.


These are "healthy" scones but the taste does not fall short.  I love the banana & cherry flavors.  I added some almond to the recipe to kick it up a notch.  They are sweet, tangy and a delicious way to start the day or enjoy with a cup of afternoon tea.

Cherry Banana Almond Scones
adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought
Yield:  6 scones 
Ingredients

• 1.5 c WW Flour (I used WW Pastry Flour; it worked fine)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 c dried cherries
• 1/2 c slivered almonds
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large, ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.  Mix well.
3. Stir in dried cherries and almonds.
4. In another bowl, combine beaten egg with olive oil and mashed banana.
5. Pour wet ingredients onto dry ingredients and stir until well combined.  
6. Form balls (golf ball - tennis ball) from batter and place on baking sheet.  (I used my large cookie scoop to scoop large portions.)
7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.