This month’s recipe is for pumpkin scones with a caramel drizzle. This scone is a good spicy, sweet treat in the morning with a hearty breakfast tea or as an after-dinner dessert.
Many people think of pumpkins as little more than a Halloween decoration or a Thanksgiving pie filling. It’s time to rethink this plump, nutritious orange plant. Pumpkin is a highly nutrient-dense food. It is rich in vitamins minerals but low in calories. Pumpkin seeds, leaves, and juices all pack a powerful nutritional punch. There are many ways pumpkin can be incorporated into desserts, soups, salads, preserves, and even as a substitute for butter.
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder (Make sure it is fresh)
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
1/8 ground cloves
¼ cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into ¼ inch pieces
½ cup + 1 Tbsp canned pumpkin
3-1/2 Tbsp sour milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp milk
Glaze
1 cup confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
1 Tbsp milk, more as needed
Pumpkin Icing
1 cup confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
1 Tbsp pumpkin puree
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp milk.
Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Set rack in top third of the oven.
In a food processor pulse first ten ingredients until well blended. Add butter and pulse until mixture
resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
In a bowl whisk together next five ingredients. Pour into well in flour/butter mixture. Using a wooden
spoon, stir well, then kneed approximately ten times on a floured work surface to bring the mixture
together. Invert dough onto surface. Pat and shape into an even round - must be a minimum of one
inch thick. Using a 2-1/2 inch floured cutter, cut out 12 rounds.
Transfer scones to a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush tops with milk and then bake in the preheated
oven for 15-18 minutes - until tops are golden brown and toothpick stuck into center of a scone comes
out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool ten minutes (no longer) before spreading with glaze.
Glaze:
In a small mixing bowl combine confectioner’s sugar and milk, adding only enough milk to make a thick
(not runny) consistency. Spread glaze over tops of scones to evenly coat. (Use all of it.) Let glaze set at
room temperature.
Pumpkin Icing:
In a small bowl, mix together confectioner’s sugar and other ingredients. Transfer mixture to a small
Ziploc bag, seal and then cut a small tip from corner and drizzle over the tops of the scones. Allow
Icing to set before serving.