I was recently asked by one of my greatest friends, Linda, what I would bake if I could only bake one more time. With only a few seconds of hesitation I ultimately answered, scones! I am a sucker for anything pumpkin spice…lattes, cappuccinos, cake, muffins, etc. Scones make such a special treat for yourself or gift for others. They are best when served warm, but they are just as easy to warm up, up to about 5 days after baking.
These scones are downright delicious, not to mention they will fill your home with an irresistible fragrance. The best thing about these scones? They taste like donuts holes! Soft and chewy, and when the sweet glaze sinks into all corners of your mouth, you’ve got to sit down before drifting away to heaven. Ooh donuts….now I’m side-tracked and my mouth is watering.
In review, these scones are more soft, unlike how a true scones texture should be. Scones should have a crisp crust, be crumbly and only slightly moist. Just ask anyone from Scotland, where the scone isn’t just a quick tea bread, it’s a national institution.
Overall, this is a must try recipe that was brilliantly created by the editor of Pinch My Salt. Bravo!
Ingredients:
Scones:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup raisins (optional, I did not use)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree (Libby’s)
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the butter into small pieces, put it in a small bowl and put it back in the refrigerator. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt, and all spices. Whisk together well. Place bowl in freezer, or refrigerator if no freezer available.
In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. Put this bowl in freezer (or refrigerator) and take the other bowl back out. Get the butter pieces out of the fridge and dump them into the bowl with the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs (dough will start to clump together). Stir in the raisins (if using).
Get the liquid mixture out of the freezer and pour into the flour mixture all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is just moistened. The dough will be very crumbly, this is the way it should be. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and push the pile together with your hands. It should stick together fairly well. Knead it just a couple of times until everything is together. Don’t knead it too much or the dough will get too sticky.
Pat the dough out into a rough circle, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut it like a pie into 8 pieces. Place pieces on the baking sheet so that they are not touching. Bake scones for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be light brown on the bottom, the tops will darken as they cool.
While scones are in the oven, mix together icing ingredients. When scones are right out of the oven, apply icing. Place scones on rack to cool, or enjoy when warm!
Icing: For cinnamon icing, mix together 1 C. powdered sugar, 2 T. milk, 1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste). Adjust amounts to change consistency. Icing can be brushed on or drizzled.
