Petite Spiced Pumpkin Scones

I like options, that’s no secret. So this pumpkin scones recipe has two schmooey options. First, a nice maple schmooey that screams fall. Second, an anise schmooey for those of you that want to wake up your taste buds a bit. This latter schmooey adds a nice kick to the smooth, warm flavors of the pumpkin scones. I did some maple (for my kids), some anise (for me) and the remainder were a Jackson Pollock-like flick of both schmooey’s. That might be my new fav.

So, I already have pumpkin scones on the site…why might I want another? Well, while I love my previous pumpkin scones recipe, I wanted to work on the dough as it was a bit on the wet side and sometimes hard to handle. I also wanted to streamline my scone recipes so that they pretty much have the same ingredients save for the couple that make each recipe special. This dough reminds me a bit of play-dough meets gingerbread. It’s quite smooth and snuggly…

If you are new to my scones, read this recipe for lots of scone-making tips. I will also include some important points below. For those of you that make and love my scones, this one won’t disappoint. Happy baking loves. xo

Petite Spiced Pumpkin Scones

Makes 16 Petite Pumpkin Scones

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus two tablespoons (plus more for dusting your hands)
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground all spice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup pure pumpkin (not pie filling…100% pure puree)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces), cold
• 2 tablespoons each pepitas + unsalted pecans, chopped (optional)

Vanilla Bean Schmooey

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 vanilla bean, insides scraped

Anise Schmooey*

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon anise extract

Maple Schmooey*

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract (Use the imitation stuff…I know it seems wrong, but you’ll get the correct flavor from it…the real stuff doesn’t pack the same punch that you want for your schmooey.)

*If you are going to do half of your scones in Anise and half in Maple, then half each schmooey recipes. The two cups sugar + 3 tbsp milk + 1/4 tsp extract combo will schmooey-up the entire 16 scones.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put parchment paper or a silpat on a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves, all spice, ginger and nutmeg. Taste your flour mixture. Is it slightly sweet, slightly spiced? It’s a good habit to taste your dry ingredients at this point…it will save you from that one time you may over-add an ingredient (I’ve done it with salt…the worst) or forget to include a key ingredient (like cinnamon). You’ll start to become familiar with what your dry ingredients taste like at this step and save yourself a lot of future anguish if you catch your boo boos early in your recipes…just a thought. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, heavy whipping cream, egg and maple syrup. Set aside.
4. Cut your 4 ounces of butter into 8 equal-sized pieces and throw them in the bowl with the flour mixture like a boss.
5. Using a pastry blender, two-forks or your hands, blend the butter into the flour mixture until you don’t have any pieces larger than the size of a pea.
6. Drizzle your egg-cream mixture over the flour-butter mixture.
7. Using a fork, stir the mixture until a craggy ball starts to form.
8. Flour the surface of a cutting board and your hands.
9. Dump the craggy dough ball onto the floured cutting board and press it into a cohesive ball. Don’t futz too much, just make sure that everything is blended well. Re-flour your hands as needed.
10. Divide this dough ball into four equal-sized hunks of dough.
11. Shape each hunk of dough into a nice round disk, about 1-inch thick. Take care to make sure that the sides are at a nice, crisp 90 degree angle.
12. Pop this tray in the freezer for 20 minutes. If you have a freezer that will accommodate the baking tray, great. If you don’t, skip this step.
13. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure you have a rack in the top 1/3 of the oven.
14. Get the discs out of the freezer. Using a very sharp knife (I like my bread knife because it’s nice and flat), cut each disc into four scones (for a total of 16 scones). Make sure you cut straight down (no see-saw action).
15. Arrange the cut scones on the parchment-covered baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each scone.
16. Put the scones in the oven for 13 minutes.
17. While the scones are cooking, mix together your schmooey.  One or both…if it’s both, don’t forget to half each recipe. Use a medium-size bowl to whisk together your powdered sugar, milk and extract.
18. Check the scones when the timer goes off…are they cracked, with just the slightest pale tan happening? If so, they’re done. Another test: gently press down on the middle. It should feel soft, but firm.
19. Let them cool on the pan for about 15 minutes. At this point, let your inner artist out and start flinging the schmooey about like a pro.
20. Sprinkle with the chopped pepitas + pecans if you’re feeling it.
21. You’re done. Grab a couple and get back in bed.

{ on my mind }

• More scone love: holiday cranberry orange scones, mojito (thai thai) scones, maple oat scones with espresso schmooey, petite raspberry + blueberry scones, tangerine scones, apple-cinnamon and some savory bacon + cheddar + chive scones.
• The new iPhone update. It kinda jacked my phone. Especially my apps…especially Instagram. Anytime I try to tag someone in a photo it shuts down the app. It’s totally annoying. BUT, I’m loving the News app that automatically downloads when you get this latest update. Check it out. You click on all of the topics or publications that interest you and then it aggregates your news for you. It’s my new favorite ‘waiting-for-the-kids-and-I-have-two-free-minutes’ distraction.
• Read this article about kid’s working in tobacco fields…and how unregulated it is…and how as long as they go to school there are no limits on the number of hours they can work in the fields. This doesn’t seem even a little bit ok.
• More fall recipes: pecan-cherry granola (totes easy), more pumpkin scones, apple-cherry scones, pumpkin cheesecake with salted caramel sauce (yup, this is as good as it sounds), fig arugula salad, persimmon salsa and Brussels sprout slaw.
• My White-Girl Mooncakes were magical but now they seem like yesterday’s news now that the whole Mid-Autumn Festival is ovah. Will go up next year…but they were MIGHTY tasty. And easy. And I loved them.
• Say anise twenty times.
• Happy hump day. xoxo

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