Pumpkin Scones

What a hectic few days!  I have had all these plans to make these delicious scones, but my life and my ideas have not been communicating amongst themselves too well!  This morning, I finally just buckled down and started baking.  My house was chilly and I refuse to turn on the furnace right now...I figure, if you're in my house and a little cold then wrap up in a blanket.  Duh! :) But to help take the chill off, I thought it wasn't too bad of an idea to use the oven! Well, my life as of now is ALL BETTER!  These scrumptious, moist, and beautiful pumpkin scones made everything all better and for a moment, I forgot about all the "stuff" around me that needs to be done!  And to make it even better, the daycare kids AND my picky husband LOVED them!  Try them... you will not be sorry!

Pumpkin Scones
from Annie's Eats (No need to adapt... it is absolutely perfect!)
printable version

2 cups flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash ginger
2 Tbsp milk


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. Mix in the butterscotch chips. 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. If necessary, knead a bit with your hands, but be careful not to overwork the dough or you will end up with a tough scone.

Transfer the sticky mass of dough to the prepared baking sheet. Pat the dough into a 8 or 9-inch round. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Slice the dough round into 7 or 8 wedges.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and spices in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine, until a thick glaze is formed. (If necessary, add a bit more milk to achieve a consistency good for drizzling the glaze.) Use a whisk to drizzle the glaze over the finished scones (I use a plastic baggie with a tip cut off). Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

Apple Scones with Whole Wheat & Cinnamon

Apples.... cinnamon.... whole wheat-- all in the form of a scone! What a great way to start a morning! This is a healthy little snack that has just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of spice, & is the perfect size! You could sweeten this up by adding a drizzle of glaze or even sprinkling sugar on the tops after glazing them with the beaten egg whites before placing them in the oven to bake! When my daycare kids come at 5:00 am, I have nothing better to do than bake, so that's just what I do! Then, when everyone else awakes, they come out of bed to a most amazing smell of something good baking up for their breakfast! Perfect beginning to anyone's morning!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 Tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1 cup apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

Glaze:

egg white, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives to make a coarse meal. Add the diced apple and stir with a spoon until all the apple pieces are coated with the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl blend the egg and the buttermilk together with a whisk or fork.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients, and mix them together just until blended. Use a rubber spatula to slice into and turn the ingredients.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead lightly, roll dough 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick and cut into rounds with a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, carefully kneading and rerolling the scraps as necessary. Put on an ungreased baking sheet about an inch apart and brush with the slightly beaten egg white.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Makes 15-18 rounds.

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR PRINTABLE RECIPE!

Recipe adapted from "Sharing Scones and More"....

**Streusel Scones**

Ah--- Scones! These scones are very moist and remind me of coffee cake. Except they are quick and easy, unlike most coffee cakes. These take staple ingredients, so they're always a good option! I like that they are not too sweet, but certainly sweet enough. They are a great early morning breakfast. My kids love them with hot chocolate!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup water

Topping:

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp. butter or margarine melted

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add the margarine and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives to make a coarse meal.

In another bowl combine the buttermilk and water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together gently, just until blended.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead a few times, and divide into two equal-sized balls. Pat each ball into a 6-inch circle, slightly mounded, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

In a small bowl mix together the ingredients for the topping until crumbly. Spread the topping over the top of the two 6-inch circles and gently pat in.

With a floured knife, cut each 6-inch circle into 8 wedges, wiggling the knife slightly to separate the wedges from each other. When the scones are done, you will be able to easily pull them apart. the sides will be sraight and soft.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 wedges!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna