Author: Adapted from “The Cheese Board Collective Works” by Aleta Watson
Recipe type: Baking
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16 scones
In contrast to most biscuit-like scones, these are soft and cakey with a crackling cinnamon sugar crust. The pumpkin gives them a velvety texture and rich flavor that pairs well with the wintry spices of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Whole fresh cranberries add zing and walnuts contribute crunch.
Ingredients
½ cup Greek yogurt or heavy cream
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter cut into ½-inch cubes
Topping:
¼ cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
Stir yogurt, buttermilk and pumpkin puree together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Stir topping ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Into a large mixing bowl or the work bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and sugar.
To mix by hand, stir salt into the sifted ingredients. Sprinkle butter cubes over the flour and work in with your hands or cut in with pastry blender until the butter is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture and pour in the pumpkin mixture. Stir with a large silicone spatula or wooden spoon just until the dough comes together. It will be a little shaggy still and some flour will be left in the bottom of the bowl.
To prepare in a stand mixer, stir salt into flour mixture on low speed for a few seconds. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is well-distributed and the size of small peas, about 4 minutes. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the pumpkin mixture and mix briefly on low speed, just until the dough begins to come together. It will be a little shaggy still and some flour will be left in the bottom of the bowl.
For both methods, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bread board or clean counter and knead gently by hand a couple of times to blend in all the excess flour. If the dough is too sticky to manage easily, use a bench scraper (pictured above) if you have one. Working quickly and with a light touch, divide the dough into two pieces and shape each one into a disk about 1-inch thick. Cut each disk into 8 pie-shaped pieces.
Place the triangles, well-spaced, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm if possible. Scones are best the day they’re baked.
Note: The scones may be mixed and shaped ahead of time. Place in a single layer on baking sheet and freeze, uncovered, until solid. Store in a container or zippered storage bag until ready to bake. Before serving, place still-frozen scones on prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. You may need to cover with aluminum foil briefly to keep them from getting too dark but they won’t take much longer to bake than thawed dough.
Recipe by THE SKILLET CHRONICLES at https://www.skilletchronicles.com/content/pumpkin-scones-to-dress-up-a-holiday-brunch/