Pumpkin Scones

I am a huge fan of pumpkin EVERYTHING in the fall. Pumpkin isn't just for pie anymore... Pumpkin spice lattes are everywhere now, pumpkin muffins, Sonic has pumpkin pie milkshakes, I even saw pumpkin pie at McDonalds, and the pumpkin candles at Bath & Body Works are amazing! I wait all year for the pumpkin scones at Starbucks. It is by far my very favorite food from Starbucks. I found this recipe a long time ago on one of my favorite food blogs - Annies Eats. I've made it several times and added my own little variations, but it is absolutely luscious every time. It's the perfect fall breakfast treat.

Pumpkin Scones
2 cups flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, or cinnamon chips (optional)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons water plus more as needed to thin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch cloves
Preheat the oven to 400° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk just to combine.  Add the cold butter chunks to the bowl and stir with a fork to combine.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest butter pieces are no bigger than peas. I use a pastry blender (you can pick one up at most stores that sell cooking and baking supplies), but you could also use a fork to mix the butter into the dry ingredients or even pulse a few times in a food processor. 

If desired, mix in white chocolate, cinnamon chips, or butterscotch chips.  Mark suggested adding rasins, but I don't think rasins are good in anything (hahaha). If you like rasins, you should try it and let me know how it works.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.  Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and  stir together gently just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the scones will be tough. The dough will be very sticky.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.  Pat the dough into a 8 or 9-inch round.  You could also shape it into a rectangular shape. Bake at 400 degress for about 22-25 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Slice the dough round into 7 or 8 wedges, depending on the size of scones you desire. At this point you can freeze half of the unglazed scones if desired. When ready to eat, just thaw to room temperature and add some glaze.

To make the vanilla glaze, combine the 1 cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon of the water in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine, until a thick glaze forms, adding more water if necessary.  Use a knife or spatula to spread the vanilla glaze on the top of each scone.

To make the spiced glaze, combine the remaining powdered sugar, spices, corn syrup, and water in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and add more water if necessary to create a thinner glaze. This one will be used to drizzle on top of the vanilla glaze so it should be thinner than the vanilla glaze you just made. Spoon the spiced glaze into a baggie, snip off one corner, and squeeze some glaze onto each scone. Enjoy!

I store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

recipe slightly adapted from annies-eats.com