MORE PUMPKIN ALERT!!! It is still pumpkin season people, but i feel like this year more than any other- Christmas is popping up everywhere already!

Don’t get me wrong- you won’t meet a more holly jolly person but I am definitely not one of those people who immediately shifts to Christmas when Halloween is over.  I love the warm feeling that comes with Thanksgiving and am just not ready to switch over just yet! I’m also hosting Thanksgiving this year and really feel like it would be a conflict of interest to decorate my house for Christmas beforehand?? Thoughts??  I don’t know.. i’ll think on that. In the meantime.. let’s chat Pumpkin Maple Scones!

So…I knew i wanted to make a pumpkin scone and sort of set out thinking it would be almost an easy swap out with the cherries in my Cherry Scone Recipe. BOY was I wrong!! I didn’t account for the fact that the pumpkin is like VERY watery and when I tried to just swap it for the cherries I ended up with a batter that had a more muffin-like consistency which wasn’t going to work.  I tried to combat it by adding in another cup of flour but even that didn’t bring it together. I baked them anyways and they were practically flavorless.. back to the drawing board.  The final version is the PERFECT blend of sweet and spice and I could literally eat the maple icing with a spoon (MAYBE I DID!!??!).  These are perfect to serve in the morning or have with coffee/tea in the afternoon.  Make them for Thanksgiving or even Christmas morning! These babies will stand the test of time!

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Pumpkin Maple Scones

yield: 8 scones – prep time: 15 minutes – bake time: 14-16 minutes

Scones:

3 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup cold butter

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

3 tbsp maple syrup

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

Maple Icing:

1 1/2 cup powdered/confectionary sugar

7 tbsp maple syrup

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Step One: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a bowl: flour, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice

Step Two: Cut up your cold butter into small little cubes and dump them all in there with the dry ingredients. Did I mention the butter should be cold?? Cold butter will melt slowly in the oven and make your scones fluffy and wonderful!  Then, using a pastry cutter or a couple forks… break down the butter until it is the size of peas:

Step Three: In a separate bowl, beat together the pumpkin, maple syrup and egg.

Step Four: Gentle fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and then add the milk.  Gently mix with a wooden spoon until the dough looks like this:

Step Five: Here comes the fun part!! Dump that dough right onto your floured counter.  Don’t worry if it looks real ugly… ugly dough usually leads to delicious baked goods!!  Dust your hands with some flour (wow you feel so professional now, don’t you??) gently kneed the dough until it really comes together.  Then, shape it into a beautiful circle… better than the one I did if possible?? Need to take some geometry classes I guess!

Step Six: Cut your circle-ish shape into 8 scones and then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  You may have to bake them in shifts if you can’t fit them all on one as you don’t want them over-crowded.  Place the scones you aren’t baking first in the fridge so they stay cold! Bake for about 17 minutes.

Step Seven: While these beauties bake you can make the maple icing.  Measure out one and a half cups of powdered sugar in a bowl.  Add 7 tbsp of maple syrup and whisk until it comes together in a thick icing.  Once the scones have cooled, drizzle as much icing onto them as you’d like! This recipe makes A LOT of icing so feel free to cut in half orrrr…. eat the rest…? I didn’t do that… I just know someone.. who .. did..?

 

ENJOY!