Pumpkin Scones, a very good idea for fall

Sometimes I enjoy baking.
Yes, there I said it. I like beeing in the kitchen and just taking my time with a recipe. Try something new or different. And baking is right in that category. I am very slow when it comes to baking and I absolutely admire people who seem to be able to make a cake in no time.

I, on the other hand, have to google a lot. :)
For example, I had bought a small pumpkin and had no clue what to do with it. So I googled pumpkin recipes.
I had enough ideas for hearty recipes, but somehow a pumpkin pie sounded appealing. There is an abundance of recipes out there but most of them had a few things in common: cloves, cinnamon, sugar and pumpkin pureé.

Pumkin pureé... well... ok. That is easy to make. Cut the pumpkin in halves, take out the seeds, cover with tin foil and put in the oven for about an hour... or as long as it takes to soften it. Then blend it.

Done.

But while the pumpkin was roasting in the oven I decided to make pumpkin-scones. Because they are easy to prepare. There litteraly can't go anything wrong. And I had some success making blueberry-scones, once.
Sounds reasonable, right?
Turns out it was a good decision. Because were were invited to a brunch and I could just take them along.



Ingredients:

• flour, 250g  (2 cups)
• brown sugar, 75g (1/3 cup)
• butter, 110g (1/2 cup), cut into cubes
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• a pinch of salt
• 
  
• 4 tbs pumpkin pureé
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar

Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and soda, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to work the butter in.

In a smaller bowl; whisk together the egg, pumpkin pureé, milk, vanilla extract and sugar.

Pour the mixture in your larger bowl and stir together. I used a silicon spatula, but you could probably use a handheld mixer on a slow speed.

Now use your hands again and knead the dough for a short while. If it is too dry, add some milk and if it is too sticky, carefully add flour.

Roll out your dough until it is one inch (2,5 cm) thick and cut into rectangles, squares, rounds or triangles. Basically any shape works. I went with triangles and rounds.

Bake them for 10-12 minutes on 200 °C/ 400 °F, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Let the scones cool for 15 minutes and spoon the glaze over them (icing sugar and milk). I actually used to sorts of glaze. One a little spicy made of icing sugar, pumpkin pureé, milk, cinnamon and a little bit of  ginger. But that is totally up to you.

Bon Appétit