These scones are based on the recipe from the Joy of Baking site, but I ramped up the pumpkin for a deeper pumpkin flavor, took out the raisins and pecans and added nutmeg, because pumpkin simply cries out for a bit of nutmeg. These scones have more of a flakey biscuit texture than a cakey texture, because I simply prefer the flakiness. They are slightly sweet, but get flavor much more from the pumpkin and spices. They make an excellent breakfast treat without the resulting sugar coma you get from other overly sweet baked goods.
Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour (or 2 cups all purpose)
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (one stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh or canned pure pumpkin
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Roasted, salted pumpkin seeds to top (optional)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or pulse in food processor. The mixture should have different sized pieces of butter – small and large.
In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla and then add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough. You may had to toss in more flour if dough is too sticky – just add a sprinkle or two at a time until you have the right consistency.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 11/2 inches thick. Use 2-inch biscuit cutter for small, round pastries. Squish scraps together and pat down to use all dough, trying not to overwork the dough.
Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with buttermilk (or an egg wash) and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if desired. Bake round scones for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on top.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Yield: About a dozen small scones.
6 comments:
Did you use canned pumpkin? I just don't think I have it in me to mess with fresh pumpkin.
Yes, definitely used canned. I have a "fresh" pumpkin sitting on my counter staring at me and inching toward rotten. Apparently, I don't have it in me to roast the fresh one, either. It seems the key is the amount of pumpkin -- most recipes for pumpkin anything call for very little pumpkin.
I wonder if it would freeze for use later? You could measure out 1/2 cup portions into a muffin tin to freeze and then pull out what you need. But I don't know what the thawed version would be like.
I've never tried to freeze scone dough. That might work. Let me know if you try that. I have issues with the freezer and once something goes in there, it is like it doesn't exist any more.
You could also roll it into a circle and cut into wedges and that makes about 8 regular sized scones. The biscuit cutter yields quite small scones. I kept them for about 4 days in a plastic ziplock bag and reheated them in the toaster. They crisped up and were yummy toasted, but nasty just straight from the bag.
Oh, I mean I wonder if you could roast fresh pumpkin and freeze what you don't use in the recipe. Assuming roasting even a cooking size pumpkin yields more pumpkin than you need for the recipe.
OH! That makes more sense. When I've roasted sugar pumpkins for pie, it seems I had a fair amount extra pumpkin. Yes, I think you could definitely freeze the roasted pumpkin. You also could roast half and cube the other half, toss in a ziplock and freeze it then roast the pieces when you want them. You should get about 2 cups of roasted, pureed pumpkin from one of those sugar pumpkins.
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