Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Maple Glaze

There is a chill in the air.

I woke up this morning curled into ball under my blankets. It seems that we are getting an early preview of crisp fall mornings here in CT. I'm not complaining. Although summers here on the shore are just magical, there is something about a cool New England fall morning that just feels right to me. It means it's almost time for boots, and sweaters, and pumpkin.... everything. Pumpkin everything!


I've had pumpkin scones on my brain since seeing a display of the gargantuan sized pastries at Starbucks earlier this week. While I stick with unsweetened coffees and lattes there, I have no problem with making a batch of scones with fresh, mostly local ingredients at home. And this morning was the perfect chilly, New England morning for them.

These scones are not too complicated - a quick whiz of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices (I made my own jar of pumpkin pie spice using 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons each of ginger and nutmeg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons each of allspice and cloves - just store in a small jar and use as needed) in your food processor (or you can mix by hand), then add in cold butter until pea-size clumps form.

You add in buttermilk mixed with an egg and pumpkin puree, then mix until your dough comes together and press it out on your work surface. The dough will be a little sticky, but nothing a little flour on your hands can't handle.

Then cut it and set your scones in the oven to bake.

Once they're done, you just have to drizzle them with your maple glaze. And then devour. Or share. Or don't share...

PUMPKIN SCONES WITH SPICED MAPLE GLAZE

scones:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 stick of cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

glaze:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus additional to dust scones with if desired
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add dry ingredients to your food processor and pulse together. Add in the butter and pulse until pea-size clumps start to form. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and pumpkin and then slowly pour down the feed tube of your food processor while pulsing, just until your dough comes together.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gently shape into a 9x9 square. Cut into 9 equal squares, then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles. Carefully place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put in the oven. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until edges are golden brown.

While the scones are in the oven, prepare the glaze by whisking together the maple syrup, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Once scones are cool, drizzle glaze over them, and dust lightly with additional powdered sugar, if desired.