Pumpkin Spice Scones

I love tradition. Thanksgiving is all about tradition. And it's never too late to begin new traditions. Maybe it's time to bring a new recipe to your holiday routine. Are you looking for something easy, delicious, and special to serve up Thanksgiving morning while you're all gathered around the TV to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Well, I've got just the ticket: Pumpkin Spice Scones. I took my basic scone recipe and added pureed pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Once the dough was mixed, I dumped it out (in a shaggy mess!) on a heavily floured surface and kneaded it, divided it in fourths, and shaped each fourth into a circle. The circles of dough were placed on parchment paper on a large cookie sheet and the whole thing went into the freezer for a quick chill. This is a crucial step in scone-making - the freezer keeps the butter particles solid so that when the scones go in the oven, the butter doesn't melt so quickly and has a chance to form those delicious little, buttery pockets we all love. Once out of the freezer, the rounds are cut into sixths, given an egg wash and a sprinkling of coarse white sugar (also known as sanding sugar), and sent on to the oven where the scones come to life. No matter how many times I make scones (which is ALL the time!) I find it to be such fun. No mixers, no big utensils, just a stir with a fork and hand-shaping. Adult play-doh and easy peasy!

The dough coming together!

Scone dough rounds...

Ready to go in the oven!

Fresh!

PUMPKIN SPICE SCONES
Oven 375 degrees F
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper

Stir the following dry ingredients together:

2 cups all-purpose flour (I love King Arthur unbleached)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of your favorite fall spices)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, firm, not soft:
With pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until it resembles coarse sand with pea-sized pieces of butter. Place flour/butter mixture in freezer for 15 minutes.

In separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients:

2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk soured with 1 tbsp. vinegar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine)


Stir wet ingredients into cold dry ingredients until all dry has been incorporated (or most of it). Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Knead 10 times (important - creates layers). Pat dough into a square and divide into fourths. Shape each fourth into a 6-inch round circle. Place on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 15 minutes or until nice and cold. Remove from freezer and cut each round into sixths. Separate on cookie sheet, leaving a little bit of space between each scone. Brush scones with beaten egg and lightly sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the scones begin to brown around the edges.