Want to know how to make a flakey buttery scone? I’m back with Mary Ann and Cindy and Sunday Favorites and I just had to share my new way of making sconces. It’s the same, but with a few tricks that make ALL the difference!
What exactly is a scone?
Traditional scones are not very sweet and they are light and flakey. You can make them round using a cutter (but then I think they are often confused with a biscuit). I prefer to make them from a round disc that has been cut into equal parts. Traditional scones are typically served with jam and clotted cream. The ones I’m making need nothing, but maybe a cup of coffee or tea.
The scones we are talking about today are pumpkin, but I use the “keep it chiiled” technique on all scone recipes.
Keep it chilled…
- Freeze the butter and using a box grater, grate the butter and incorporate into the dry ingredients with a fork or a pastry cutter. This makes it so much easier to mix in the butter and get that pea size dough that most recipes talk about.
- Don’t over combinbe or mix the dough. As soon as the dry ingredients is combined with the butter and then the wet ingredeints, and you can form a ball, stop. If you overwork the dough, the scones become sort of “tough.”
- It helps to flour your hands before making the dough into a ball.
- Then put the ball of dough into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove and place the dough on a floured surface and form into a 8″ disc. It will be pretty thick. Quickly cut it into 8 equal parts like a pizza. If the dough is still cold, the knife will cut through smoothly. If you’ve waited too long before cutting, then place into the refrigerator again and wait a few minutes.
- Place the scones onto baking baking sheets lined with parchment paper and then refrigerate again. Why? Because the scones will hold their shape if they start cold when they go into the oven.
What’s the basic ingredients in {pumpkin} scones
- flour
- baking powder
- butter
- egg
- spices
- salt
- heavy cream
- pumpkin puree
What special equipment is needed for making sconces?
No special equipment is needed! That’s what I love about scones. They are the perfect thing to make on a weekend morning or even when you are traveling and maybe staying in an Airbnb. You don’t need a mixer. You don’t even need a pastry cutter. I don’t even own one, I use a fork! And you can get everything ready the night before.
PrintPumpkin Scones with a Maple Glaze
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: breakfast
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick or 1/2 cup butter, frozen
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º
- Line one large or two medium baking pans with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater and add to the dry ingredients
- Use a fork or a pastry cutter to combine the dry ingredient with the grated butter. If you don’t have a grater, you can cut the butter with a sharp knife into small pieces. Fine shreds of butter are so much easier to work with though.
- In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, the heavy cream, and the egg. Whisk together and then add to the flour-butter mixture.
- Mix together with a spatula or a spoon making sure to incorporate all the dry ingredients, but be careful to not over mix. Overmixing or over kneading causes the dough to be tough.
- Then with floured hands, form the dough into a ball. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to chill it a bit.
- Then take the ball of dough and place it on a floured work surface. Working quickly so that the dough remains chilled, make a disc that’s about 8″. It will still be pretty thick.
- Take a sharp knife and cut like a pizza into 8 equal pieces and place on cookie sheets.
- Chill on the pan for 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Then put into the oven and bake for about 18-22 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool slightly and then glaze with a maple butter glaze. (recipe in notes)
Notes
Maple Glaze
- 2 teaspoons butter, melted.
- Add 1/3 cup maple syrup and remove from the heat.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar and a pinch of salt and whisk until smooth.
- Drizzle over the scones and serve immediately!
mercantile at graybarns in Norwalk, Connecticut
The Mercantile at Gray Barns is equal parts neighborhood cafe and marketplace. You can stop by for lunch, coffee, or pick up a rotisserie chicken or a baguette. Or maybe a special gift. I wrote this post about Gray Barn Inn and Tavern, but I stopped by the Mercantile on a rainy day and it could not have been more charming.
A taste of New England just an hour from NYC = the perfect Escape
A visit to the Silvermine area which borders the three Connecticut towns of Norwalk, New Canaan, and Wilton is not to be missed for a New England experience any time of year. Stay at GrayBarns Inn or if just visiting for the day or an hour, stop for coffee or lunch and take a walk on Mill Road. It’s a lovely walk along the Silvermine River on a quiet road and then back onto Silvermine Road back to GrayBarns. A taste of New England all within a one-mile radius and only about an hour and ten minutes from Grand Central in NYC. Take Metro-North to the New Canaan or South Norwalk station and a taxi to GrayBarns.
The Small Businesses that make us
I loved this article on small businesses by Madeline Diamond in T&L.
The Small Businesses That Make Us
Here why you should always visit local businesses when you travel.
Preserving leaves with Glycerine
My friend Sheri has a post on just how to do it and the supplies you’ll need in case this is something you were thinking about doing for Thanksgiving. I just ordered this and can’t wait to try it with all the beautiful leaves from my walk today! You can read the post here.
And this cardigan sweater from Athleta.
I love cardigan sweaters so when I saw this one at Athleta I knew I had to have it! I’ve already worn it three times this week. It’s great with jeans, camouflage pants and it’s the perfect thing to slip into after a yoga class.
Elizabeth@pineconesandacorns says
I just made scones, cranberry orange. and now I am going to try your scrumptious looking pumpkin ones! This like coffee shop is so cute! Thank you for sharing the other links and the article about Small Businesses, now more than ever it is so important to support small!
annie diamond says
Cranberry orange scones are probably my all-time favorite, but for some reason, I’ve never made them. It’s my go-to at bakeries though!
Mary Ann Pickett says
Those scones have my mouth watering. Thanks for the recipe!!!
annie diamond says
If you were my neighbor, I would have brought some over! xx
Charlotte says
What a fun fall treat!
Sheri Silver says
Scones are the bane of my existence – I’ve actually used the phrase “scone rage” when biting into yet another hockey puck-like scone at the bakery. Love your tips and agree that keeping things chilled is KEY!