These are simple, easy scones with a light almond flavor. The scones are studded with dried cherries and topped with sliced almonds that turn golden and crispy in the air fryer. You can use your discard to make the scones, which, if the discard is active, will give additional lift to the treats. Nonetheless, the recipe includes baking powder, so, if you'd like, you can bake the scones right away. I use my air fryer to make the scones, which helps keep the kitchen from heating up excessively and saves on electricity. If you'd like to use a regular oven, you can bake the scones at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. The scones are great for breakfast and make a nice snack with tea or coffee. Enjoy!
Sourdough Almond-Cherry Scones -- Makes 8
1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
2-4 tablespoons of dried cherries
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1-2 additional tablespoons of sugar to sprinkle
Cut small pieces of baking parchment to fit your air fryer basket. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender. Drizzle in the canola oil and cut/stir it into the flour mixture, too. Stir in the sourdough starter/discard and the almond extract until a rough,slightly wet dough forms. Drop eight portions of dough, each a little less than 1/4-cup, onto the prepared parchment sheets, spacing the dough mounds at least an inch apart. With damp hands, shape the dough mounds into rough circles about an inch to inch and a half thick. Sprinkle the tops of the dough mounds evenly with the sliced almonds and the sugar. Spritz the tops of the dough mounds with non-stick cooking spray. You can let the scones sit for an hour or so if you want more rise and a more pronounced sourdough taste. Otherwise, put one dough-topped piece of baking parchment in your air fryer basket, put the basket in the air fryer, and air fry the scones at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until a deep, golden brown. Remove the scones from the basket to cool and repeat the cooking process with the remaining scones.
