Cherry Banana Scones

The cherry blossoms are at their peak bloom and they are breathtakingly beautiful! I have lived in the Maryland area my entire life, but I will admit that I have never been to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC. Every spring I make it a goal to get to the city and see the beautiful display, but for one reason or another I’ve never made it there.

This year I was determined to see the cherry blossoms. Not another year could go by without witnessing one of the most beautiful sights of spring. So when we heard that the Natural History Museum would be closing the dinosaur fossil exhibit for five years, we decided to make a full day of sightseeing- first the museum and then… the cherry blossoms!

Everything about this day was perfect- from the weather, to the museum, and of course the beautiful blossoms. The museum is about 2.5 miles (by street) from the beginning of the cherry blossom trees, so for the sake of our five year old we decided to take a taxi. We tried and tried to catch a cab but with the thousands of people swarming the area for the cherry blossom festival, it was impossible.

Then, out of no where a pedicab showed up, hooray! He pedaled us through the streets of DC all the way to the trees. It was absolutely wonderful! The warm sun on our faces, the breeze in our hair, and the smiles on my little guy’s face as he saw the city from a new perspective made it a highlight of the day.

Even from a distance, the cherry blossoms are unmistakable. They look like pink fluffy clouds floating along the water’s edge. It’s truly a stunning sight. Even Shaun, a landscape designer who is around beautiful plants all of the time, was taken aback by the cherry blossoms.

As if the blossoms weren’t enough to see, there are several national monuments scattered around the area. The contrast of the stately historical monuments, rising like stone pillars, against the delicate fresh spring blossoms made the scene even more captivating. If you ever get the chance to visit DC in April, you must add the cherry blossom festival to your agenda!

Now, on to the food! Inspired by the cherry blossoms I set out to make something sweet that highlighted the unique tartness of the cherry. These Cherry Banana Scones did just that- lightly sweet and delicious with a real pop of flavor from the cherry. Because they are gluten free and made with bananas as the base for the batter, they are not hard and crumbly like regular scones. They are soft, moist, and have a consistency more like a fresh biscuit than a traditional scone.

We love these as a breakfast treat, drizzled with a little honey, some butter, or topped with fresh cherry preserves. They are made with healthy ingredients so it’s a wholesome treat that your whole family will enjoy.

Hopefully you are lucky enough to visit the cherry blossom festival, or at least have a cherry tree in bloom near you. These trees offer amazing beauty and the first real sign that spring has officially sprung! If you can’t get to the festival, hopefully these pictures will give you a glimpse at the stunning sights of DC this time of year. Enjoy, and treat yourself to a yummy Cherry Banana Scone to celebrate the arrival of spring!

INGREDIENTS:
3 ripe bananas
3 cups almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
3 Tbs organic honey
1 Tbs coconut sugar (plus more for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 coconut oil (melted)
3 eggs, whisked
1 cup dried organic cherries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2.Thoroughly mash all of the bananas and add to a large bowl.
3. Add the almond meal, 1 cup at a time, stirring in between.
4. Next add the baking powder, honey, coconut sugar, vanilla, salt, and coconut oil. Stir to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
5. Then add the eggs and stir until everything is fully incorporated.
6. Gently fold in the dried cherries.
7. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and scoop the batter onto the tray in round, even, balls- about 1 heaping tbsp each.
8. For some added sweetness, you can sprinkle some coconut sugar on top of each scone before it is baked.(Note: This tastes delicious, but it can make the scones a little soggy after day 2.)
9. Bake in the oven at 375* for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven.
10. Serve with drizzled honey, butter, or cherry preserves for a delicious breakfast treat!