Pumpkin Scones

 I recently discovered about myself that my favorite season is fall. The beautiful leaves on the ground, fresh smell in the air, and the coming of the joyous holiday season just make this the most blissful time of the year. Not to mention the most striking weather. The best part about cold and rainy days is sitting inside by the fire with a nice cup of hot coco after a chilling 10 mile run. And for people like me who love to bake, the rain poses the perfect time to get crafty in the kitchen. But on top of all of these pros of fall, the thing that tops the list for me is-  get ready for it: PUMPKINS.

Yes I am crazy for anything pumpkin. Pumpkin soup, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin muffins, and of course pumpkin pie.  The second I tried a Starbuck’s Pumpkin Scone, my baking mind started thinking. I did not want to have to pay at least four dollars for a small scone when I am perfectly capable of making them myself. After looking through hundreds of recipes on Pinterest, I adapted a recipe that worked out so well! The recipe is as follows:

Scones:

·  2 cups all-purpose flour

·  1/3 cup brown sugar

·  1 teaspoon baking powder

·  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

·  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·  6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

·  1/2 cup pumpkin puree

·  4 tablespoons half and half

·  1 large egg

                           

Glaze:

·         1 cup of powdered sugar

·         2-4 teaspoons almond milk

·         ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Adapted from the recipe on: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/16810/spiced-pumpkin-scones-recipe/#ixzz2rHhzqruV

(The recipe on this blog is heavily spiced, which I didn’t care for too much. Also I lowered the amount of butter to be healthier and used vegan butter because I mostly eat vegan. To completely veganize this recipe the egg can be substituted with a quarter cup of greek yogurt and the half and half can be replaced by almond or soy milk. They will be slightly drier scones but completely vegan.)

Directions:

1.      Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl.

2.      Mix the egg, pumpkin, and half and half in a small bowl.

3.      Cut in the cold butter.

4.      Add the liquid pumpkin mixture to the dry and stir until JUST moistened.

5.      Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a ½ inch thick rectangle.

6.      Cut the dough lengthwise and then in half. Cut each smaller rectangle into triangles.

7.      Bake at 375 for 24-30 minutes or until dry looking on top.

8.      Let cool and mix ingredients for glaze.

9.      Using a cut plastic bag, drizzle glaze over each scone.

10.  Enjoy!