Holiday Tasting Party Recipes

RECIPE NAME: PUMPKIN SCONES

INGREDIENTS:
PUMPKIN SCONES:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbls. granulated sugar (I used turbinado)
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
6 Tbs. cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup canned pumpkin ( used a fresh pumpkin puree)
3 Tbs. half and half
1 large egg

POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE:
1 cup plus 1 Tbs. powdered sugar
2 Tbs. milk

SPICED GLAZE:
1 cup plus 3 Tbs. powdered sugar
2 Tbs. milk
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves

HOW TO MAKE THIS:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Set aside.

Sift together into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Add the cubed butter on top.

Now, either using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer on medium speed, mix the butter and dry ingredients until you reach the consistency of coarse cornmeal (pieces of butter should be no larger than a small pea). Alternatively, you could probably do this step in your food processor, much like you would do for making pie crust.

Now gradually fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. You can use a spatula for this step, but you might have to use your hands in the end to get that last bit of flour to incorporate into a well formed dough ball. The important thing is to make sure all the dry ingredients have been moistened well.

On a well-floured surface, flatten and form the dough into a 12"x 4"x 1" thick rectangle.

Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, divide the rectangle into three equal pieces, then slice each piece into four triangular pieces by making an "X" through them.

Place the triangle of dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for just 15 minutes, or until light brown. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool before icing.

Make up the powdered sugar glaze by mixing the milk and sugar until smooth, then paint the tops of the scones with the glaze using a pastry brush.

While the first glaze is drying (10 minutes or so), make up the spiced glaze by combining all ingredients and mixing until smooth. Drizzle onto the scones using your favorite drizzling method (I put the glaze in a small ziplock bag and snip off the corner)

You should wait about an hour for the glaze to dry before serving.

MY TIP: Try not to eat all of them before your friends get there!

MY NAME: Amanda Sheren

**Credit for this recipe goes to http://theshoeboxkitchen.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/pumpkin-scones/