Pumpkin Scones

Today we make real pumpkin scones!  I am especially excited about this one because scones have become a new favorite of mine.  They can be great for breakfast or for a snack.  Pair with warm pumpkin tea or coffee (see Oct 5^th) and be transported to your favorite fall location, be it a log cabin with a roaring fire, or a quaint English tea house.  This could be the perfect take a break and relax with pumpkin treat!  So let’s get working on that.

Note:  This should take you 45-60 minutes to make, and your hands will get very gooey : )  Also, these scones are not like the hard scones, but a soft fluffy scone.

Prepping Note:  If cooking up your own pumpkin puree for this one (see Oct 1) there is a slight variation.  Only cook up ¾ of the pumpkin.  Leave ¼ aside in the freezer for tomorrow’s post on roasted pumpkin.  Then tomorrow take that 1/4 out to thaw, it will soften the pumpkin just enough to make it easier to cut, but still preserve its shape.

Step 1:  Pre-heat the oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil (I’ll be using the foil) and spray with cooking spray, or grease with a tiny bit if butter.  I’ll stick to cooking spray (or not-stick as the case will be, ha ha).  Assemble your ingredients.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour, 2 cups.  I use self-rising flour, which means the flour already contains a rising agent and does not need baking soda or powder to help it rise. If you also use self-rising flour you can omit the baking powder from this recipe.

Sugar, ¾ cup.  I’ll be using ¼ with extra cinnamon, because I believe that pumpkins are sweet enough with natural flavoring.  Also, I’m watching my intake of sugar.

Baking powder, 1 tablespoon.  (If not using self-rising flour)

Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice.  Use a few shakes of each, or whatever you have on hand.  I find that all these spices together make the best pumpkin flavor, but without one just add a little more of something else.  You can also add salt, which I won’t do.  I’m cutting back on salt as well. 

Pumpkin Puree, ½ cup.  See Oct 1 to learn how to make real pumpkin puree yourself, rather than from a can.  

Pro Tip: Using real pumpkin you cooked yourself makes a huge difference in taste and texture!  So give it a try!

Half and Half, 3 Tablespoons.  Use fat free if you prefer.  I will be using regular, but only because my fiancee likes that in his coffee. 

Egg, 1 large, scrambled first.

Butter, cold, cut into 6 tablespoons.

Step 2:  In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients.  I’ll be using a whisk to do this.

Step  3: In another bowl mix together wet ingredients.  Mix thoroughly with a fork or spoon.

Step 4: Cut butter in six tablespoons sized squares.  Then using two knives cut butter into the dry mix.  What I did was put in each square of butter cut it up a few times, like a tossing a salad sort-of.  Then I used my hands to move it around the flour mixture breaking up the butter further.  Then after that I used a whisk to get the mixture to look like little crumbs.  That seemed to work for me.  I like to experiment a lot when baking.  I don’t always stick to one way or another, I do what works for me in the moment.  You get the best results that way ; )

Step 5: Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.  Mix thoroughly with a spoon.  Once mixed, use your hands to glop it together into a ball.  Your hands will get very sticky!  Then put the dough ball on the baking sheet and spread out int0 a rectangle (or something resembling a rectangle: see my efforts).  It’s very sticky so it won’t be easily movable, but that’s ok just work it. 

 

Step 6:  Use a pizza cutter, or knife if you don’t have, to cut the dough into three equal-ish pieces and then cut those three pieces diagonally for 6 triangles.  Separate the piece a bit, used the pizza cutter to create space between.  See how mine came out.

 

Step 7: Place in an oven heated to 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  When they come out you should be able to stick a toothpick in and have it come out clean.  If not, try another 5 minutes.

Step 8:   While your scones cooking and cooling decide if you want to ice these babies!  I do!  Go together icing ingredients.  (Or not, they are super tasty either way and without icing is a little healthier for you)

Ingredients:

Powdered Sugar, ½ cup.  I used a ¼ because, well you know by now.

Milk, 1 Tablespoon.  I use fat free milk, but use whatever you have in your fridge.

Your Pumpkin Spices, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.  A few shakes of each (or any). 

Step 9:  Whisk ingredients together until they become smooth and easy to use as a glaze.  Add more milk if it is too thick for you.  I like it sort of thin and runny.  I also used a lot of spice, but I like it spicy so the color of the icing is brown, which is cool with me : )  Without spices you’ll have a nice white, and with just a pinch of spice, it will look white with a little brownness. 

Step 10: Let the scones cool a bit when they come out of the oven before putting on the glaze.  I lifted mine right off the baking sheet with the tinfoil still underneath and put them on a wire cooling rack.  I’m going to wait ten minutes because I’m hungry and they look seriously good!

 

For me, I’m picturing a coffee house right outside of marble arch in London, listening to some Adele, as I bite into this scrumptious treat!  Wow!  I’m having it some pumpkin spice coffee (Oct 5^th)

 

Check back tomorrow when I’ll be covering roasted pumpkin (Remember: to prep for this I would cook up ¾ of the pumpkin for puree and leave ¼ aside in the freezer and transfer to the fridge tomorrow morning.)  And as always you can like me on facebook, check-out my pinboard, and follow me on twitter, or get me on the go with your phone to get your Pumpkin overdose!  See the side bar to link right up!  Enjoy!

Looking ahead: Tomorrow I will cover Roasted Pumpkin.  Also if you're going to the store to get some pumpkins, in addition to getting a few, I would get some of little baby pumpkin gourds too for a crafty project I'll be covering this week!