Pumpkin Scones

Back to my pumpkin kick. Today actually feels like fall (after a month of cloudy, humid, rainy weather). I am obsessed with scones, so I decided to try my hand at pumpkin scones. They turned out fantastic, like fall on a plate.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. AP flour
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. each of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and/or all-spice
• 6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 3/4 C. pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 C. milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1/2 C. confectioner's sugar, for the glaze
• 2 Tbsp. milk, for the glaze
• pinch each of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and/or all-spice, for the glaze

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (you can use a mixer or food processor to do this, but I prefer to do it by hand - I use a fork, but you could use butter knives too - or buy one of those fancy pastry blending tools).

Add the pumpkin, milk, and egg, and mix until combined. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the dough in the center. Using lightly floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangle. Use a knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. 

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, until the scones are golden brown. Meanwhile, mix the confectioner's sugar, milk, and spices in a small bowl for the glaze. Once the scones are out of the oven, drizzle them with the glaze and allow to set for 10 minutes. I usually can't wait that long and end up with sticky fingers. Best when served warm.

Note: Canned pumpkin can be difficult to find, especially when there has been a lot of rainy weather like there has been this year. It is easy to make your own pureed pumpkin (from the pie or "sugar" pumpkins that you can find at this time of year) and freeze it. Look for an upcoming post on that. Another good substitute: butternut squash - it is very difficult to tell the difference, in my opinion. In a pinch, you can use "pumpkin pie mix" that comes in a big can in the baking aisle. It is basically pureed pumpkin with the sugar, salt, and spices already added. So just omit those ingredients and it should work.