We’re six days away from Christmas, which means I’m deep into mental food preparation. Menus have been chosen for all of the mains meals, but I’m still debating breakfast on Christmas morning. Scones are a frequent request from the “kids”. Admittedly, they usually ask for blueberry white chocolate or chocolate chip, but these would be a delicious option as well.
To learn more about this recipe, originally published in November 2013, keep reading.
I’ve been baking scones for at least a decade. Over this time I have experimented with different ingredients. I’ve made cinnamon chip, maple oatmeal, even savory ham and cheese scones. However, I never have thought to incorporate one of my favorite ingredients, pumpkin. I don’t know why this is, seeing that once summer ends we are inundated with ads for pumpkin everything.
Whatever the reason, last Sunday I finally made the decision to combine my favorite breakfast treat with one of my favorite ingredients. I do like texture in my scones, so I knew that just adding cooked pumpkin wouldn’t be enough. Pecans seemed like the perfect add-in to give the scones a bit of crunch. For those who like a sweeter filling, white chocolate chips could be a good ingredient.
Another way to add some sweetness to this scone is a simple vanilla glaze or frosting. It can be added at serving time, so your fellow scone eaters can choose whether or not to top their breakfast treat. For the glaze, you simply want to combine powdered sugar, a pinch of vanilla, and enough milk to bring it all together. If you want more sweetness, make a small batch of buttercream frosting.
Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 tablespoons butter chilled
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400.
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Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
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Cut butter into small pieces, and add to flour mixture.
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Using a pastry blender or two forks, mix until butter is the size of small peas.
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In a large mixing cup combine buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.
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Slowly add half of the liquids; add all of the pumpkin purée and pecans.
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Stir to combine.
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If mixture is too dry, add more of the liquids. (The dough should form a ball.)
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Place dough on a lightly floured surface and press into an 8-inch round.
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Cut into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to rimmed cookie sheet.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown.
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Transfer to cooling rack. Top with vanilla glaze, if desired.
Notes
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk
Combine sugar and vanilla. Stir in milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency. Drizzle on cooled scones.
