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1
In a small saucepan, bring cherry juice and almond extract to a boil. Remove from heat, add cherries, and cover the pan. Refrigerate at least an hour, and up to overnight, before proceeding.
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2
Preheat oven to 350 F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
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3
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle the pieces of butter over the top. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until no large chunks remain.
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4
In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, maple syrup, and egg. (I like to stick the bowl of dry ingredients and butter in the freezer while I do this, to make sure they don't start to warm up.) Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
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5
Drain the cherries and stir them into the batter along with the toasted almonds.
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6
If you've come this far without licking batter off your fingers or the spoon ... well, you have much more self control than I do.
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7
Drop mounded scoops of dough onto a baking sheet (unlined is fine) with at least an inch in between. The scones won't spread much, but better safe than sorry! Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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8
While the scones cool, make the tart cherry glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and cherry juice. Add more cherry juice as necessary to make a smooth glaze. Brush over the tops of the cooled scones. Don't be afraid to glaze the scones 2, even 3 times, waiting a few minutes for the glaze to dry in between. The cherry glaze gives the scones this beautiful pink color, plus some extra cherry flavor!
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9
The scones taste best on the day they are made, but can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
