Pumpkin scones!

Another pumpkin recipe! Because I love Fall! And pumpkins! And exclamation points!

Everybody loves scones, right? If you don't, just lie to me... I can't handle the truth.

I set out to find a recipe that could replace this place's pumpkin scone recipe, and I found one on a recipe site called Pinch My Salt. I tweaked it just a teensy tiny bit to suit what I had in my cupboards, and both my sister and I (Certified Baked Goods Deliciousness Experts, I'll have you know) decided they were quite fabulous and in fact better and more moist than the coffee shop original. Onward to the recipe!

Disclosure: I took these pictures late last night in my poorly lit kitchen. I'm welcoming donations for a kitchen re-do or a giant spotlight. ;)

First, mix all the wet ingredients together -- half and half (I used fat free half and half because that's what was in my fridge), pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and vanilla.

When you're done mixing it, it'll look like orange goo. And if you need to see what that looks like, please reference this recipe. Different goo, same effect. Put this bowl into the fridge to keep it cold.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and spices together and then cut your butter into small chunks (I was sort of lazy and they were only smallish) and add it to the flour.

See? Only smallish.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture with forks (not a fan), a pastry blender, or your hands. I started with a pastry blender because it's faster than forks in my opinion, and when it was pretty well incorporated I used my hands to make sure I didn't have any butter-less deposits of flour. I'm nothing if not thorough. (stop laughing)

It should resemble coarse crumbs at this point.

Next, add the wet ingredients all at once and mix until just barely moistened.

Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and smoosh it together with your hands. It'll hold together nicely, and you want it to be moist and a little sticky (dry scones = less fabulousness). Pat it into a circle about an inch thick, and then cut it into 8 pieces like a little scone-pizza.

Put them on a pan so they're not touching...

And bake at 425-degrees for 15 minutes. They won't be dark, just barely light brown on top when they're done.

You can mix up a fancy little glaze or icing and drizzle on top for extra yumminess. I made a molasses-ginger glaze for this batch which was really quite delicious (and the recipe for that is at the bottom of the post as well). My original plan was to make a maple glaze, but my bottle of maple flavoring broke and splattered all over my kitchen like a crime scene -- it was like an episode of "Dexter" except that it was maple flavoring and not... you know... blood. A maple glaze would be even more fabulous if you used real maple syrup instead of the flavoring.

Whatever you decide to do, the next step is easy. Eat. A whole bunch of them. Preferrably with coffee or some other warm fall-time treat. Call a girlfriend over to keep yourself from eating all 8 of them... because it's possible. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Pumpkin Scones (adapted from Pinch My Salt)

2 c. flour (I used all-purpose instead of cake flour or something fancy, but I'm scandalous like that)

6 Tbs. cold butter (I only had salted, and it turned out just fine)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (woohoo!)

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/3 c. pumpkin puree

1/3 c. half and half

6 Tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix pumpkin, half and half, brown sugar and vanilla in a small bowl, then place in the fridge to keep cold.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger together. Take the butter from the fridge and cut it into small pieces, and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Add the wet ingredients all at once, stir until just moistened, and turn out into a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to lightly push all the dough together into a ball, knead it once or twice to finish any mixing, and then pat it into a small circle about 1 inch thick. Cut the scone dough into 8 pieces and put them on a pan so they are not touching. Bake at 425-degrees for 15 minutes. Scones should be light brown on top -- don't overbake.

Ginger Molasses Glaze (also adapted from Pinch My Salt)

2 Tbs. Molasses

2 Tbs. half and half

1/4 tsp - 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger (depending on your taste... I like a little ginger kick)

Then mix in enough powdered sugar for your desired consistency. I like it thick, so I think I used around 1 c. of powdered sugar... but don't quote me.

 

or try...

Maple Glaze (as seen in first photo)

2 Tbs. maple syrup (real, please!)

2 Tbs. half and half

Powdered sugar to your desired consistency

(I'm linking this recipe to

Just a Girl's Show and Share Day

 Be Different Act Normal's Show and Tell Saturday

House of Thrifty Decor's Show off Sunday
Under the Table and Dreaming's Showcase Sunday
Tatertots and Jello's Fall linky party

and Chic on a Shoestring's Flaunt it Friday... go check them out!)