Pumpkin. So good.
In the olden days, October was a time to pull those last bits of harvest in and finally take a deep breath after the year’s hard work. The humble pumpkin has sort of become a symbol of all that, even now, when the most we have to do with a pumpkin is a yellowish-orange can or carving a jack-o-lantern or two. (Here’s how to make your own pumpkin puree)
There’s something about that smooth, orange yumminess, mixed with the spices of autumn–cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger–that make us feel cozy inside, whether it’s baked into pies, cookies, or whirled in a shake.
In that spirit, here’s a recipe for pumpkin spice scones. These are English-type scones. Baked flaky bites, just right for nibbling along with a cup of tea, rather than the raised-dough-deep-fried type you see in the Western U.S. Don’t be scared of the seemingly long list of ingredients. This recipe is a piece of cake. Well, scone.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (heaping) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons half-and-half (The Damsel used milk and nothing bad happened)
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Put all the dry ingredients in your mixer and whirl them around. Add the chopped butter and let it go at it until the butter is incorporated and looks like coarse meal. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix just until everything is evenly orange.
Take the dough out of the mixer and form into a ball.
Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a 1-inch thick rectangle about 4 inches by 12 inches. Use a large knife to slice the dough making three equal portions.
Cut each of the portions in an X pattern (four pieces) so you end up with 12 triangular slices of dough. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.
Now, just to be extra fancy, these scones have TWO types of icing/glazing. Just do it. Everything will be okay. Everything will be MORE than okay.
While the scones are cooling, make Icing #1.
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
Adjust this by adding milk or powdered sugar until the consistency is soft and spreadable, but not drippy. Now the hard part: wait until the scones are cool before glazing them with a pastry brush. The Damsel understands it’s hard to wait, but if they are still hot, the glaze will melt and drip. Not okay. While this firms, make Icing #2.
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
Mix all together. The Damsel had some of the Icing #1 left, put it right in and felt no sensation of sin. To make up for that she made the pinches of spice HEALTHY pinches. Icing #2 should be thinner so it will drizzle, so add a drop of milk if necessary.
Drizzle this over the scones in whatever way pleases you.
The original recipe had some ridiculous talk about waiting an hour before eating. Whuut.
Don’t forget to give some to the kitchen staff.
