Ahhh, fall. Finally. To me, nothing compliments this wonderful crisp weather like pumpkin dishes–especially pumpkin pastries. Which is why, after a romp through Prospect Park with my little pumpkin this past Sunday, I threw together a batch of my family’s favorite pumpkin raisin scones.
These scones are so delicious (and so hard to screw up!) that I almost hesitate to share the recipe, which is a much-tweaked version of something I found on the internet a few years ago. But of course, dear reader, I’m not that stingy. Try these and tell me they’re not the best thing you’ve made in months.
Tip: If you’re the type to eat one (ahem, three) too many pastries in a sitting, just cut the recipe in half, following the same instructions. You’ll find yourself with a batch of eight adorable mini-scones.
PUMPKIN SCONES
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put baking rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
In one bowl, whisk together:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Pinch of Jamaican allspice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Dash of salt
Then add:
1/2 cup cold butter (I always use salted, but unsalted is fine, too) cut into very small pieces
Blend butter into flour mixture with two knives. The mixture will be crumbly–that’s okay.
Then add:
1/3 cup raisins
In a separate bowl, combine:
1/2 cup buttermilk (note: If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar to 1/2 cup regular milk. Let stand for five minutes)
1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin–NOT pumpkin pie filling!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the wet mixture to the dry. Knead together about five times on a lightly floured surface. Don’t over-knead it! You’ll see bits of butter not fully combined, which is completely fine. Pat/flatten the dough into an approximately 8″ circle (about 1.5″ thick).
Cut the dough like a pie, into eight triangular pieces. Place each piece on the wax paper, then brush lightly with whipped egg white and sprinkle with a little brown sugar.
Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the scones comes out clean.
–Camille
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Camille
