There was talk of pancakes all week long with no action, so it was really only a matter of time until, well, these happened. 

And after a lot of weak justifications (“Isn’t it still technically Valentine’s Day?”) and with the obscenely large, rediculously cheap block of high-quality dark chocolate that I picked up the day before at the Chelsea Market burning a hole in my pantry, the chocolate part just sort of happened. 

Cherries and chocolate together make for one sexy pancake, don’t you think?  It still seems like such an oxymoron to me, for some reason.

But I have to believe that this whole obscene episode was meant to be, because as I so often do, I happened to reach for Mark Bittman’s book for some fast inspiration, and discovered a recipe for the lightest, fluffiest pancakes ever made. If not for the weight of the chocolate, they would have risen off the plate.

It’s the egg whites, beaten until they hold soft peaks, that are the secret.

If you fold them into the batter carefully, they hold much of their air, and keep things light from bowl, to ladle, to pan, to plate.

Guest photo credits to Brian, who was messing around with the new lens. As usual, he acted as head taster.

Except for this shot, which I took, post meal.

Fluffy Dark Chocolate Pancakes with Cherry Sauce
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Saturday morning I work up with a nasty headache from an overindulgent holiday celebration the night before. I was delirious and sort of flailing about in the kitchen – just getting the coffee on was a challenge. I needed some delicious and buttery carbs to settle my stomach and quiet my throbbing head, but I couldn’t imagine leaving my house in such a state. Luckily, these cherry scones not only fit the bill on account of their being flaky, buttery, and satisfying, they also were easy to make in my, ahem, less-than-with-it state.

As scones go, these are nearly perfect if you love your scones flakey and buttery, with just a touch of sweet from the sugar on the top and tart from the cherries. 

These were extra-special because the only butter I had in the fridge was Plugra, a European style butter with a lower moisture to fat ratio (read: higher fat) that I generally use when baking pie crust, making caramel, or for spreading on good bread. Using regular, unsalted butter will yield great results too.

The original recipe calls for cream, but I opted for whole milk. I’ve done it both ways and barely noticed that the cream was missing.

Coat the chopped, dried cherries in flour before adding them to the dough. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom when baking. It’s a tactic that is especially good for thiner batters – like those of muffins or quick breads.

Add the cherries and mix the dough just enough that they are evenly distributed.

Form the dough into a long, flat rectangle and either roll or form with your fingers until the dough is uniformly 3/4 inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pastry scraper to cut the dough into rough triangles.

Brush each scone with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse raw sugar.

Arrange the scones on a parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each one. Mine took 20 minutes to cook, but be sure to start watching them at around the 17 minute mark. 

If you felt the way I did that morning, you would understand what torture it was to wait for 20 whole minutes. Plus, I recommend that you allow these to rest for at least 15 minutes before eating. They are well worth the wait.

Cherry Scones
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten 

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup raw, coarse sugar for sprinkling
 
2 tablespoons baking powder 

2 teaspoons salt 

3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten 

1 cup cold milk

3/4 cup small-diced dried cherries

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and milk and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss the dried cherries with 1 tablespoon of flour, add them to the dough, and mix quickly. The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.