Pumpkin Scones

Yes, we Americans do love our pumpkin.

And no, these are not savoury scones, they are the American type of scone - sweet, cut into triangles rather than rounds, and in this case drizzled with a sweet, spicy glaze.  And while I am not ready to use the American pronunciation that rhymes them with stone, I do like how they are designed to last slightly longer at room temperature than their British cousins.  They are wonderful with coffee or tea, and the pumpkin ensures that they are virtually impossible to dry out in your oven.

I made them once before with some pumpkin I had lingering in my fridge after making pumpkin whoopie pies.  On that occasion, I was less than precise with my measurements and ended up with a very wet dough that couldn't be cut into triangles and was just shoved into the oven in a big mound.  When it was nearly done I took it out and cut it up, separating the pieces on the tray, before putting them back in to finish baking.  This time I actually followed the recipe and had a much more workable dough, though I think I might prefer it with too much pumpkin and the improvised cutting process.

These are also the result of not setting the clock back on my Kindle.  You see, the other morning my daughter came through and said "it's getting light out, is it morning time?"

I checked my Kindle, saw it was nearly 7, and said "sure, we can get up."

Of course, once my daughter, baby, and I reached the kitchen, I realised my error, seeing it was, in fact, nearly 6am.  If I am forced to be up this early, there are two ways I cope
1) I consume a large pot of proper leaf tea
2) I bake something

A the kettle boiled, I got out a few things:

Into a bowl went some flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

  And butter.

  Of course.

And this is what it looked like after I rubbed it in with my left hand and held a baby in my right one.

Then in went some pumpkin, egg, and cream

And I kneaded it a few times with my scary big pink hand.

I then made a rough circle and cut it into 8 wedges which I placed on a tray and put in a hot oven.

They came out looking like this:

Then I drizzled a bit of a glaze made of cream, icing sugar, and cinnamon over the scones.

And I ate them.  And they were good.  Very, very good.  I might even make some more soon, as my jack-o-lanterns are in the process of being slaughtered, steamed, pureed, and drained to make puree. There's a reason I usually buy the pumpkin puree in cans.

Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Scones

Yield: 8 scones | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | adapted from  Iowa Girl Eats 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all purpose flour

7 tbsp. caster sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (or more if you want to be daring)

3 tbsp. double cream

1 egg

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

For the spiced icing drizzle:

1 cup + 3 tbsp. powdered sugar

3 tbsp. double cream (more if you like your icing runnier)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220C) and lightly flour a baking tray.  
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and spices. Mix until well blended.
3. Add the cold butter and incorporate with your hands or a pastry blender until mixture resembles breadcrumbs in appearance.
4. Add pumpkin, egg, and cream and knead briefly until just combined.  If the dough is too sticky, add a bit of flour to make it manageable.
5. Flatten the dough into a 1″ thick circle, then cut into 8 wedges.
6. Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or just until they’re starting to turn golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
8. In the meantime, make the spiced icing drizzle by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing until combined.
9. Once the scones have cooled as long as you can stand it, drizzle the spiced icing on top.   
10. Once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  Ha ha ha, just kidding, eat them all now.