Pumpkin Spice Scones

What to do when you have a ton of pumpkin puree leftover from making pumpkin pie? Make pumpkin spice scones, and have a happy breakfast-time for the rest of the week! Sounds like a plan.

We're getting snow, guys. The first snowfall of the year is upon us, and I don't actually think I'm ready for it. I mean, I'm a cold weather person for SURE, but you actually have to ease me into it! You can't just spring potentially six inches of snow on me like it's no big deal. First, a beautiful dusting. Then, an inch or two. Then, a beautiful blanket just in time for Christmas. THAT'S how it's supposed to go. Ah,well. We'll get it right next year.

At any rate, one of the nicer things about terrible weather is the comforting heat of the oven, and obviously the baked reward that emerges from it. And these scones? Great reward.

First of all, anything with pumpkin in it gets a big ol' stamp of approval from me no matter what. But to have it in a wedge, drizzled with deliciously-sweet spiced glaze, is extra special. Perfect for your coffee. Perfect for your life.

For those of us that love pumpkin bread, these scones will be right up your alley. Generally, scones are more on the biscuit side, but the moisture from the pumpkin puree actually shakes things up...in a good way. What you get with these is a crispy-on-the-edge, moist-in-the-middle combination that is totally divine. Just make sure to keep a close watch on these little guys--- too long in the oven and they'll dry out a little too much, losing what I think makes them so great.

If you're looking for a quick and DELICIOUS way to 1) make breakfast 2) use up precious pumpkin, these are totally the way to go.

Now, go. Go make them.

PUMPKIN SPICE SCONES

What You'll Need:

For the scones:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices in a large bowl. Add your cubed butter into the bowl and, using either your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined. Fold your wet ingredients into the bowl with your dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Using a floured wooden spoon, or a floured bench scraper, scrape the mixture out onto a a lightly floured surface. Using floured fingers, carefully pat the dough into a roughly-8 inch circle. Then, using either a floured knife, or floured bench scraper, cut the circle into eight equal wedges. Once your wedges are formed, transfer each to your prepared baking sheet. If you'd like, use a dry pastry brush to brush off any excess dough.

Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Once out of the oven, let cool for two minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

While They're Cooling, Let's Make the Glaze!

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, milk, butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Final Step! Glaze Those Scones!

Place a baking sheet lined with wax paper under your wire cooling rack to catch any drippings. Add glaze to your scones in any design you'd like. Dip them in, or drizzle glaze over each top using a spoon. It's totally up to you! Once glazed, let set for at least 20 minutes.

To store: If you're not eating the scones the day you make them, store them unglazed in an airtight container for up to 2 days ahead of time, and  glaze just before you're ready to serve.

SOURCE: Adapted slightly from Tutti Dolci 

Rustic Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Scones

It went past 50 degrees last week and I could hardly believe it. For the first time in months I didn't have to prepare myself for the familiar sting of winter wind hitting every piece of exposed skin. And I even spotted neighbors that I haven't seen in months. The windbreaker is out, the winter coat is buried deep within the wardrobe, and despite what the weather people keep trying to tell me (back to the 40s, sometimes 30s) Spring is here to stay. Why? Because I said so.

The sun is shining so brightly and it's making me think of Summer. And, it should be noted, I don't even like Summer that much. It's just too hot. While most people around these parts relish the feeling of a hot sun on their skin, all I can do is slap on the sunscreen; even while just looking out the window. I'll take 70 degrees and breezy, please. None of that 90 degree business. Anyway, since the sun is shining and it's actually remotely warm, it had me missing the fresh fruit that I practically live on all summer: blueberries. And what goes exceptionally well with blueberries? Lemons, m'dear!

I've been trying to think of ways to spice up breakfast lately. The Cheerios just aren't cutting it anymore; not by themselves anyway. Toast is a splendid breakfast companion, but I've just been looking for a little more oomph. That's where these scones come in. Such a simple little thing on its own, the scone. So much potential, just begging to be taken to the next level. And so we shall, little scone. So we shall.

Plus, we had some extra ricotta burning a hole in the fridge. Ricotta cheese shall never, ever be wasted. Not on my watch.

And I know that scones are traditionally wedge-shaped, but we're not going for tradition here. The beauty of a scone (besides the lovely taste) is that it can be wedge-shaped, biscuit shaped, or maybe somewhere in between like I've attempted. Mine sort of resemble drop biscuits with fruit, and you know what? That's what I'm going for. They're rustic. And also incredibly delicious.

These scones are crispy like a good southern biscuit, but still super moist thanks to both the ricotta and blueberries. And just as you start to get into the sweetness of the blueberry, you're greeted by the hint of lemony goodness. Breakfast is going to be really good this weekend.

And don't let anyone speak badly about whichever shape you choose. You do you.

What You'll Need:

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

zest of one lemon

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed if frozen)

Heavy cream for brushing

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Once fully combined, add the ricotta. (It's okay if there are still little lumps once you're finished combining.)

Combine the lemon zest and granulated sugar in a small bowl, rubbing the two together with your fingers until it gives off a lovely fragrant smell. Set aside.

In a large bowl,  use a whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon-sugar mix. Add the cut up pieces of butter and gently toss with a fork, making sure each piece of butter is coated with the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or fork, incorporate the butter into the flour until you get a mixture of little lumps of butter and flour.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix together using a rubber spatula until just combined. Careful not to over-mix. Next, gently fold in the blueberries. Turn out the dough onto a very well-floured surface and gently knead the dough. Add a little flour as you knead if the dough is too sticky. Pat the dough into a 1/2 inch thick disk. Cut into a wedges, or a circles using a biscuit cutter, or for a more rustic look, gently cut a section and carefully shape it yourself. Transfer the pieces onto your prepared baking sheet.

Brush each piece with heavy cream (to help it brown nicely in the oven), and sprinkle scones with Turbinado sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Two things to note:

1. This dough is VERY sticky because of the ricotta cheese. If you need to, add a little flour when kneading, but make sure to be gentle and not over-knead the dough.

2. Depending on your oven, it may take more than 20 minutes for your scones to turn golden. Be patient. They'll get there. But do keep a close eye on them: scones can go from lovely brown to too dark in no time flat.

SOURCE: Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod