pumpkin scones.

Oh Fall, you have had quite an effect on me. I am finding myself jumping through piles of maple leaves, happily layering my clothes and throwing on scarves, and searching out the best spots in the house to calmly listen to the rain. And oh, the baking. You have gotten me obsessed again with bread making (three loaves of bread in one week? insanity!), just because I feel the need to have our house warm and smelling heavenly. And my nights are now spent digging through recipes that are quite inspired by you: ginger pumpkin cake, miniature apple and pear tarts, sweet potato pie, etcetera.

Fall, because of you I woke up so early in the morning (I am still not quite used to this new time change) and excitedly made this batch of pumpkin scones. And because they were so good I stood there in my kitchen with icing-covered fingers, devouring four in a row. Fall, if I end up fat by Winter, I'm blaming you.



Pumpkin Scones with Icing

Ingredients:

For the scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons 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
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk
1 large egg
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.

Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 14 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

To make glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint the glaze over the top of each scone.