pumpkin scones with pumpkin spice icing

I'm crazy excited to share this amazing recipe with you!

I've been wanting to make pumpkin scones since I found this recipe in one of my cooking magazines last year, but the Fall season kept me so busy that I never got around to it.
   
          

Not this year though! I've made these several times since the start of Fall . . . and plan on making them through Thanksgiving!

So what makes these pumpkin scones so darn good?

Well, they're not only tender, light, and moist . . . but they're the prettiest shade of orange, smell like sweet pumpkin, and have an amazing pumpkin spice icing on them! Hello!

                  They're FULL of everything that Fall baking is all about!

I hope that my photos entice you to make some for yourself and your family this weekend. Be ready to fall in LOVE with them, too!

Pumpkin Scones

makes 8 scones

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Scone

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp canned pumpkin puree, chilled (don't chill in can)

wet ingredients

3 1/2 Tbsp buttermilk

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp half and half

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp half and half, then more as needed

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Pumpkin Spice Icing

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp half and half

Scone preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a food processor pulse together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended (if you don't have a food processor you can whisk by hand in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry cutter). 

Add butter and pulse mixture several times to cut butter into mixture (large pieces of butter should no longer be visible). Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and create a well in center.

In a bowl whisk together chilled pumpkin puree, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract and honey. 

Pour mixture into well in flour/butter mixture. Stir mixture with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then knead in bowl (or on work surface) by hand several times to bring mixture together. 

Dust a work surface with flour then invert dough onto surface. Pat and shape dough into an even 8-inch round. Using a large knife, slice into 8 equal wedges (dust knife with flour as needed while cutting, it will be fairly sticky).

Transfer scones to a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp half and half then bake in preheated oven 13 - 15 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes (no longer) before spreading with glaze.

Glaze preparation

In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar and half and half, adding more half and half as needed to reach desired consistency (it should be fairly thick not runny). 

Spoon and spread mixture scones to evenly coat tops (use all of it). 

Let glaze set at room temperature.

Pumpkin Spice glaze preparation

In another mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and half and half. Transfer mixture to a small Ziploc bag, seal bag, cut a small tip from corner and drizzle mixture over tops of scones. Allow icing to set. Best served day prepared.

Courtesy of  Fine Cooking magazine

Fall entertaining . . .

   Invite your neighbors over for a light brunch . . . These make a great addition!

 

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

on Facebook

strawberries & cream scones

It's no secret, I love scones!

I've shared many combinations over the years on this blog, my favorite one being the orange and cranberry scone . . . but I must say that this one is also quite delightful.

I've had thoughts of making strawberry scones over the years, but struggled with how they would turn out using fresh strawberries. 

Given that fresh strawberries contain a lot of moisture (at least the wonderfully sweet ones do), my concern was how it would affect the dough while baking. Would the added moisture create a 'soggy' scone and a barely noticeable strawberry flavor?

And so began my quest to figure out how to add real strawberries to scones without compromising the perfectly tender and light texture of the bread.

Well, I found my answer (on accident!) while browsing in the dried fruits and nut aisle at my local Trader Joe's a few weeks ago.  

              Freeze dried strawberries!

They're the real thing, only freeze dried. What that means is that the moisture that I was concerned about is gone. So you're left with the total sweetness of a strawberry without the added 'water.' 

And I must say, these little freeze dried strawberries have a concentrated sweetness and scent that is quite intoxicating. They're so much fun to just munch on, too. 

I was so excited to bring them home and try them out in my favorite sour cream scone recipe. 

                     . . . And they were even better than I had hoped they would be! 

I added white chocolate chips to the dough for a 'creamy' factor, giving them the flavor of 'strawberries & cream.'

I served my strawberries & cream scones alongside a big bowl of fresh whipped cream & fresh strawberries from our little garden. What a pleasant Summer treat!

strawberries & cream scones

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons COLD butter, cubed

1 cup cold sour cream

1 egg yolk

2 cups white chocolate chips

2 cups dried strawberries, roughly chopped

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar in the raw

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cubed COLD butter until a coarse meal forms. Pulse in the sour cream and egg yolk until just combined. Add white chocolate chips and dried strawberries until just combined.

Turn the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together into a ball. 

Gently pat the dough down into a 3/4 inch thick square shape. 

Using a fluted cookie cutter, cut out shapes. 

Transfer onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle it with some sugar in the raw. This will create a shiny and crunchy top for the scones.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms of the scones are light brown.

Remove from oven, cool slightly on the sheet pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home 

on Facebook

sour cream scones

  
I adore scones.  
  
Because scones offer just a hint of sweetness, you will find that they are a wonderful accompaniment to most beverages and menus.  

One of my favorites is the sour cream scone. It's the perfect scone if you're wanting to serve a light sweet treat with an array of spreads, like lemon curd or a home-made blackberry preserve. 
  
Sour cream scones are the perfect combination of butter and sour cream that marry to bake an incredibly tender and moist scone And what about the outside texture of the scone you might ask? Well, it's just irresistible.  Something magical happens in the oven when you've brushed the tops with heavy cream, and then sprinkled them with raw sugar . . . a heavenly sweet crust forms atop each one. The sweetness of the raw sugar rounds out the hint of sweetness found in the scone itself.  
  

This wonderful recipe always finds a place on my brunch menu, and I'm often asked for the recipe. I must admit that this posting is long overdue!  
  
Don't wait for a special occasion to make this treat.  If you don't have any spreads, fresh berries and cream taste absolutely wonderful as well. It's a quick and easy recipe that you and your family will truly enjoy! Bon appetit!  
  

 

Here's how . . .

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, COLD, cubed

1 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar in the raw  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Be sure that all your ingredients are COLD.

In a food processor (or mixer), pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cubed butter until a coarse meal forms. Pulse in the sour cream and egg yolk until just combined.

Turn the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together into a ball. Gently pat the dough down into a 3/4 inch thick circle shape. 

With a large knife cut the dough square into 4 smaller, equal squares. Then cut each smaller square diagonally, with an X, making 4 smaller triangles.

Don't worry if the top is uneven, or even flaky, it will only hold more heavy cream and raw sugar . . . which yields an even more heavenly crust!

Transfer the 16 triangles onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle it with some sugar in the raw. This will create a shiny and crunchy top for the scones.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms of the scones are light brown. Remove from oven, cool slightly on the sheet pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

     

Serve warm with lemon curd or a berry preserve 

. . . and enjoy!

Let's keep in touch . . .

Simply Suzannes at Home

on Facebook!

the Tea House on Los Rios

. . . is a lovely restaurant, nestled in the historic district of San Juan Capistrano.
  

I recently celebrated my birthday here.

It has been a favorite of mine for many years. It's a charming restaurant that my mom, close friends, and I visit for fine dining on special occasions. 

~ tea cup filled with vanilla ice cream & fresh fruit ~

A candle was added for a happy birthday!

It was my first time sitting on the veranda over-looking the lush gardens and Los Rios ~ a narrow, historic dirt road ~ spotted with charming shops and strolling visitors and locals. 

The east-facing veranda - where we were seated - was shaded by towering white birch trees that bear long billowing branches that filled the air with pleasant sounds of gently falling rain. 

From my seat - I could see through the gift shop window to a waterfall made from an antique Parisian shower and tub surrounded with kitchen herbs and edible flowers.  

 

 

White linen draped tables line the veranda that wraps around this charming house, each displaying a feminine porcelain tea pot filled with roses, and a matching sugar bowl. Linen napkins adorn each place setting. 

It's hard not to feel like a lady when you're surrounded by such elegance and beauty.

Perhaps one of my favorite things about this lovely destination is it's crumpets and heart-shaped scones served atop a petite china plate and a white doily!

 

Or perhaps its that every plate - when served - is adorned with a rose, and each one is different. 

 

The Tea House on Los Rios is not only for those who love tea; but it's also a destination for those who have a love affair of beauty and fine dining.

For me, it's a lovely place to share & celebrate a special occasion. 

My afternoon was a wonderful, quiet celebration with my mom and a few close family friends. We enjoyed food that was divine, sipped tea for hours, and enjoyed one anther's company until the late hours of the afternoon.

The Tea House on Los Rios is truly a gem.