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So, I'm kind of in love with scones. They're easy to make, delicious, and extremely versatile. Today I wanted to make some scones that would help me bring in the New Year and help me reach my goals while also getting me into the spirit of Valentine's Day (because you know that's just around the corner too!) What better way to achieve both other than with dark chocolate and some cherries? Yum, yum.

I used one of my older scone recipes to start out as the base for this one. And it worked out beautifully with the few changes and new additions that I made to it.

What can I say? It's fun to sometimes go back to revisit older recipes while also adjusting them to my ever changing taste and desire.

These scones were a huge hit. So much so that my mom snuck one when she came over, and then even took some home with her when she left! I guess I didn't realize that chocolate and cherry were one of her favorite flavor combinations.

When making these scones, I was sure to use the same whole wheat white flour. Along with natural sweetener rather than sugar, and plenty of dark chocolate and an equal amount of cherries.

I love how well these scones pair so well with my morning cup of green tea, fresh fruits, and some greek yogurt; making for the perfect breakfast that's worth waking up for!

Skinny Dark Chocolate & Cherry Scones
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 Scone • Calories: 180.4 • Fat: 2.1 g • Carb: 28.5 g • Fiber: 3.6 g • Protein: 5 g • Sugar: 9.3 g • Sodium: 173.6 mg

Ingredients:
2 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
3 Tbsp. + 1/2 Tbsp. Natural Sweetener
1/2 Stick Salted Light Butter, Cold & Cubed Small
1/2 C. Fat Free Milk
1/2 C. Fat Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 Large Egg
1/2 C. Dried Cherries
1/2 C. Dark Chocolate Morsels

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.

In a large bowl, combine 2 C. flour, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, and 3 Tbsps. sweetener until well blended. 

Add in the 4 Tbsp. butter until the mixture resembles the grainy texture of cornmeal. 

I used the whisk attachment on my stand mixture on a medium speed until the right consistency was reached. But you could also use the back of a knife or maybe even a food processor.

Add in 1/2 C. milk, 1/2 C. greek yogurt, and 1 egg.  Combine together until a smooth dough has formed.

Finally, toss in 1/2 C. cherries and 1/2 C. chocolate and fold into the dough. You don't want to mix too thoroughly or the dough will turn pink!

Yes, the dough will be very wet and sticky. 

Scoop the dough out onto a well floured surface.

Coat your hands with flour and knead the dough, adding in a bit more flour until the dough is still soft, but easier to work with. 

Form the dough into a ball and place it onto the prepared baking sheet. Pat it down with your hands into a half inch hall circle. 

Lightly flour the surface of the dough and a knife. Carefully cut the dough into 12 wedges (as best you can.) 

Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. sweetener.

Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are turning golden brown and the middle is set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

I'm glad that I got this picture when I did. My mom came over and stole a scone from me before I took the final shots. I can't be mad at her though, she just couldn't help herself.

Cut and serve warm with jam, cream, or butter and some tea!
 

I decided to serve my scones with some classic Bigelow Green Tea that I picked up at Walmart. It's hard to pick just one flavor with that amazing variety!

Some vanilla greek yogurt and fresh fruits were the perfect things to pair with my scone and tea for a well rounded little breakfast. Yum!