Pumpkin Scones

When I made pumpkin coffee cake earlier today, I mistakenly opened two cans of pumpkin when I only needed one, so I also made pumpkin scones.

I haven't had much luck making scones in the past but today they turned out wonderfully.  Not too dry, and very similar to a bakery scone.  I enjoyed one with a cup of tea this afternoon.

I recently purchased a bench knife and it was quite helpful for dividing the dough and cutting the scones.  A step-by-step of the process can be found on the King Arthur blog, but these scones are pretty easy to make.

Pumpkin Scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (12 scones)

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• cinnamon sugar, for topping

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
• With a pastry blender, cut in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's ok for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated. Stir in the walnuts.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs till smooth.
• Add the pumpkin/egg to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together. Then knead several times in the bowl.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.
• Place the dough onto the floured parchment, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 6" circle, about 3/4" thick.
• Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Don't be shy, I wish I would have sprinkled more on mine.
• Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
• Carefully pull the wedges away, and space at least an inch apart on the pan.
• For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, heat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Bake the scones for 20 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
• Remove the scones from the oven, and serve warm. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature. Reheat very briefly in the microwave, if desired.

Recipe adapted from: King Arthur Flour