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The Perfect Pumpkin Scone
I am full into pumpkin gear here! Once Halloween hits and all through the winter I find cans of organic pumpkin on sale and I really stock up. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, or should I say breadS since I have baked probably ten loaves to date, and, of course, pumpkin scones.
I’ve published other scone recipes but forgot about this one until recently. I can’t remember where I started before all the changes I’ve made with these scones, but I do know the recipe has been in my files for a very long time.
You’ll see I grind the nuts until they are really fine, almost like walnut flour, because my picky grandkids are nut averse when it comes to baked goods. (I also pulverize the heck out of mushrooms because the grands aren’t fans of that texture either. Go figure!)
Anyway, this is pretty basic and the perfect start to your morning accompanied by a cup of tea, a latte or anything else you like.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones
Makes 10
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup toasted walnuts
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur)
- 1 cup unbleached white flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (Yes, a Tablespoon!)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 rounded teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 5 tablespoons (2.5 oz) cold salted butter
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree (I use organic and it is looser in texture than non-organic)
- ¼ cup milk (I used 2% because that is what I keep around)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 -3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, more if needed
- Sparkly white sugar if you want to be fancy and garnish the scones. I do!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust rack to the second from the top shelf.
I usually put the toasted nuts into my Nutribullet with about one teaspoon of sugar and whirl them until they are very, very fine. You can hand chop them a little more coarsely, but still small (1/4 inch) if you prefer.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, the chopped nuts, baking powder, brown sugar, spices, orange zest, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.
Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the chunks of butter are about ¼-⅛ inches big.
Stir pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract together then add to the flour mix. Keep mixing until everything is combined. Use your hands briefly to form a smooth ball.
Form dough into a circle that’s about 8-9 inches wide. Use a chef’s knife to cut the circle into 10 even slices like a pie. I usually flour my knife before each cut. You will see that my silicone mat is perfect for this step!
Before Baking
Separate slices and place on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until they are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment onto a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, remove the parchment but leave the scones to cool some more on the rack.
PS: If you use ¾ cup of the canned pumpkin, you should have enough to make glazed Pumpkin Bread!
Once the scones are cooled, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the glaze generously over the scones. Sprinkle a little sparkly sugar on top of the drizzle if you wish.
