Scones hold a special place in my heart because they’re one of the first things I learned how to bake that weren’t cookies. In my high school Home Ec. class, I was partnered up with my friend Amanda, and we learned about cutting in butter, and mixing dry and wet ingredients, and all that good stuff. I still remember our teacher explaining the exact texture and consistency that we should have when breaking up the butter, and how that creates the steam needed for flaky baked goods. That was my freshman year of high school, and I’ve been whipping up scones ever since. They’ve become a go-to when my family wants a sweet treat and I don’t want to slave over anything complicated. I think scones are even easier to make than muffins because there’s no scooping and filling; the dough is so super fast and they’re hot out of the oven in no time. This is a basic cream scone, with a spiced autumn-y makeover. I actually specifically came up with this recipe to use the remaining pumpkin left in a can after making a recipe that calls for one cup (like my overnight baked pumpkin french toast!) This is a quick and easy way to use it up.
Start by mixing up some quick dry ingredients. We have flour, baking powder, brown sugar, some spices, and a little salt.
Use a whisk to mix those together until everything is incorporated.
Then you’ll want to cut up some very cold butter (straight from the fridge) into small chunks.
Since there’s not too much, I think hands work great here. Just gently flatten out the little pieces of butter and break them up into the dry ingredients. You can see I still have visible pieces of butter, and that’s important. You don’t want to overwork butter in scones or they’ll end flat, dry, and dense.
Next you’ll whisk together your wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, vanilla, cream, and an egg.
Use a fork to gently pull the dough together. Don’t use any kind of mixer here; it just take a few seconds to mix up the dough by hand.
Mix it until it just comes together.
Gently pat the dough into a circle shape, about an inch or so thick. Use a pizza cutter to divide it into wedges. One thing I always do with scones, that I didn’t do here because I was distracted by picture taking, is to take a little of your cream and brush it over the top, then sprinkle with sugar (coarse sugar if you have it) before cutting them. It gives them a beautiful, sparkly sweet crust.
You can bake them a couple of different ways. You can leave them in the circle just like I have below, only pulling them all away from each other just about an inch or so (to give them room to grow) and then pull them apart after baking,
Or you can separate them all like this:
Or – you can get one of these bad boys.
Either way, bake them until they’re puffed and slightly golden. Scones dry out and become overcooked very easily once they’ve been in there a little too long, so make sure to check them with a toothpick and take them out as soon as that thing comes out without wet dough attached.
While the scones are cooling on a rack, mix up a quick glaze. All you need is some powdered sugar, a little maple extract, and a little cream.
Just whisk it all together,
until you have a nice glaze-y consistency.
Then drizzle it all over the place.
My favorite thing is how glaze creeps into the cracks and crevices on top.
These are so yummy when eaten just a little warm, with softened butter slathered on there. Scones aren’t quite as sweet as say, a muffin, because you generally put yummy stuff on there like butter, jam, or maple glaze, so load it up!
They’re super amazing with pumpkin or apple butter, or the cinnamon maple butter I’ll share with you next week! You can also add chocolate chips or cinnamon chips if you want.
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Pumpkin Spice Scones with Maple Glaze
Description
A delicious cream scone, with an autumn-y spice makeover.
Ingredients
For the Scones
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (dark or light)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons real butter, straight from the fridge
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup pumpkin
For the Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- 2 tablespoons cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk together. Cut butter into small chunks and add to dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter, or clean hands to gently break the butter up into pebble-sized pieces.
- In a separate bowl, combine cream, vanilla, egg, and pumpkin. Add wet ingredients to dry and use a fork to gently combine until a cohesive dough forms. Gently pat into a round ball and pat down until it’s about 1 inch thick. Use a small amount of flour on your surface if necessary. (optional step: brush top of dough disk with a little cream and sprinkle with sugar) Cut into 6 wedges and separate onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just barely golden and a toothpick comes out of the center without any wet dough on it. Place scones on a cooling rack.
- Combine glaze ingredients. Whisk until smooth, adding more cream, or more sugar, until a good glazing consistency is reached. Drizzle over scones. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Remember to use cold, straight-from-the-fridge butter.
Questions & Reviews
Yuuuuuummmm! These look amazing! I have been making my favorite pumpkin cookies. http://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/pumpkin-cookies-with-browned-butter-glaze
Thanks! All prepped and ready to bake in the morning! I can’t wait to eat it! BTW, you’re missing where the vanilla goes on the print version.
I saw a recipe just like this on Southern at Heart on Food Network by Damaris,except it was maple cinnamon icing.
Made these this AM for breakfast and they were amazing! I am having to use all my self-control not to eat the whole recipe! This is my first time making scones (I know, where have I been?)…… But they turned out fantastic. Kids loved them too. I only had half&half instead of cream and they were great. Can’t imagine them being any tastier with the cream ;). Thanks for a great pumpkin recipe for my repitoire!
Oh my goodness, I am SO sorry! I don’t know if you follow me on Instagram, but I posted this funny picture when I was typing out this recipe. The funny part (not for you- for me, lol) was that after some research I remembered what was going on and that the correct measurement for cream was the 1/4 cup. But apparently I had 3/4 on the brain and wrote it into the recipe when I typed it up! I didn’t realize that until just now after these few comments about the dough being wet. I just updated it and I wish I could make you a new batch myself, I’m so sorry!
Hello- I just want to tell you how much I love your blog and your cookbooks. I received both of your cookbooks for Christmas last year, and I enjoy using them so much. The recipes are so fun and delicious! Thank you so much for being so awesome!
Well thank YOU Natasha- so sweet!
I agree with the people who said the dough was very wet. They are in the oven now after adding much more flour, so don’t know how they will come out.
Pat- please see comment #16.1
PS- sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry #myfault !
I wonder if I could get away with using canned coconut milk for the cream and coconut oil for the butter.
Hey! They’re even REAL scones, not Utah scones! I was so confused the first time I had breakfast with my future mother-in-law. The “scones” she put in front of me were NOT what I was expecting 🙂
Lol, yes- in Utah, “scones” means something entirely different!
I wanted to make pumpkin-something that wasn’t too sweet today, and this was perfect! Mine turned out a lot stickier; I couldn’t slice into 6, so I just dropped it unto the pan. I’m not sure if that is because I used soy cream (diet restrictions) or if it was just a fluke. But, I hope they turn out just the same way next time because they were delicious! So moist and just the right amount of sweetness. I used carmel extract because it’s what I had on hand and my 4 year old declared that they were the best treats I had ever made.
Thanks for another great recipe!
orrrr because I had a typo in there. See comment 16.1 (but hey- let’s blame it on the soy okay?? lol) sorry!
Too many of my kids are non-pumpkin lovers for me to make something like this because I would eat way too much of it. But you inspired me to try a scone recipe that a friend of mine makes and I had no idea they were so easy OR so much more delicious when they are hot. And my kids love them. Thanks for the inspiration.
*scratch
Scones (and pie crusts) are one of the few things I have not attempted on my own when it comes to baking and I keep meaning to!! In fact, baking a pie totally from scrath is on our fall bucket-list… I’m thinking these scones may have to come first, though. Yum! (And it just so happens that I made that pumpkin french toast bake yesterday, so I have some leftover pumpkin puree to use up anyway!)
The butter creates steam pockets? Thank you for explaining that – I know one should leave visible butter but never knew why. I feel so much smarter today because of your pumpkin scone post – thank you! = )
These look great! I’ve never made scones before but I am encouraged that you say they are easier than muffins 🙂 I will have to give them a try.
For your gluten-free readers, this recipe is VERY similar to the one posted here and it’s excellent! http://www.redhorsemountain.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-scones/
these look delicious! Might have to make time to bake them today. It’s even rainy, I love baking when its raining.
What temperature do you bake them at?
Sorry- 350!
Yummy yummy! So I have all the ingredients except maple extract. Can I just use maple syrup – it is the pure maple good stuff??
You could play around with that. I’d probably skip the cream all together and just use maple syrup since it’s not as strong- but yes, definitely use the good stuff (100% pure maple syrup)
Loving that glaze! Delicious!
Looks and sounds delicious!
There seems to be a problem with the recipe box again; it saves a brown rice recipe rather than this one.
Hey Catherine- the recipe box is just a third party application, so we have nothing to do with it and problems are on their end. Sorry for the frustration!
Yum! These look like a perfect breakfast for Thanksgiving guests!