Pumpkin Scones Revisited

Before I get to the pumpkin scone, I just want to say... I dropped my camera into the kitchen sink the other day and totally broke it so this photo is the best I could come up with!

I received a comment today from regarding my pumpkin scone recipe. http://thecookiescoop.blogspot.com/2011/02/pumpkin-scones-with-maple-glaze.html
Here's the comment:
I tried this recipe as I thought the combination of spices would be delicious. I'm going to go back to my recipe that used butter and sugar. The scones I made with this recipe were hard, dry and tasteless. Using sugar and butter will vastly improve the texture and flavor.

So after reading the comment from "anonymous" I decided to make the scones again this afternoon. Maybe, I thought, I got lucky the first time with this recipe and they just happened to come out great. I thought maybe they're really not as great as I thought they were. Well, guess what, They are great!

I found these scones to be light, moist and delicious, just like the first time I made them. These are cream scones so they don't have egg or butter in the recipe. They rely on the fat from the cream and the pumpkin puree to give them moistness.

There are certain steps that need to be taken when making scones.

First, all the ingredients need to be very cold. The butter, if using, needs to be cold ( or frozen) and cut into small pieces. The cream needs to be cold, even the bowl should be cold.

Second, you need to mix the wet with the dry very lightly and only til just incorporated. If you overmix the scones will come out hard.

And lastly, make sure your measurements are correct. If your cup of flour measures 5 ounces, rather than mine at 4.5 ounces, then you're using too much flour, which can change the recipe and lead to a dry hard scone.

So, anonymous, I'm sorry your pumpkin scones came out dry, hard and tasteless.

Oh and one more thing. If you don't put the glaze on top, yes, they will not be very sweet.

Oat and Orange Scones

I never tire of scones. The varieties are endless, sweet or savory. This oat and orange scone is made with whole wheat pastry flour, which was challenging to find around these parts. I've never seen it in any of my local markets so I called Whole Foods and, sure enough, they had it. Gotta love that store!

Whole wheat pastry flour is lighter than whole wheat flour and it makes these scones light and quite delicate, which is a good thing. They have a nice subtle nutty flavor.

I halved the recipe and I did make a change in the original recipe. I used half and half instead of buttermilk. I make almost all my scones with half and half but because these don't have an egg in the recipe I thought the scones needed a little more fat.

One thing to always remember when making scones is to have your butter and milk or cream very cold.

Once you add in the half and half, gently stir the mixture with a fork, using almost a folding motion.
This insures that you will get a light scone.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a round or rectangle shape.
Then, using a bench scrape or large knife, cut the dough into 8 to 10 triangles ( for half the recipe), depending on what size you want.

At this point you can bake them all or freeze some for another time.
For the ones you're going to bake right away, brush the tops with half and half then sprinkle with raw sugar and a little more oats, if you like.

Oat and Orange Scones ( adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Makes 12 to16 large size scones. ( I tend to make my scones small so this recipe would yield 16 to 20 for a smaller size scone.)

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar ( I used cane sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt ( this is my addition)
2 sticks unsalted very cold butter, cut into small cubes
Zest of an orange
2 cups oats ( I thought this was too much oats so I used a little less)
2/3 cup dried currants
1 cup cold buttermilk ( I used cold half and half), you may need a little more if the dough seems dry
1/4 cup raw sugar ( for sprinkling on tops)
1/4 cup buttermilk or half and half ( to brush on tops)
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Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In a food processor or large mixing bowl, add together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse or stir to combine.
2. Add in the butter and orange zest, pulsing a few times if using a food processor, (blend in with your fingers if mixing by hand), til mixture consistency resembles small and large peas.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl ( if using a food processor) and stir in the oats and currants.
4. Pour the buttermilk (or half and half) over the dry mixture and gently stir with a fork, using more of a folding motion. Add a little more milk if the mixture seemd too dry.
5. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and using floured hands, shape into a round or rectangle, patting the top to approx. 1 1/4" thickness. Using a bench scrape or large knife, cut the dough into triangles.
6. Transfer the sections onto your parchment lined baking sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk or (half and half) and sprinkle with raw sugar and a little more oats, if you like.
7. Bake the scones 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the size. The bottoms should be golden and they should feel firm when gently pressed in the center. You can also check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean with no crumbs clinging, then they're done.

Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Scones

Seeing herbs in my container garden popping up is such a welcome sight, especially after the long winter we've had this year. I just had to use them to bake something! And these scones were it!

I went with this recipe for buttermilk scones but took out the currants and most of the sugar and put in chives and cheddar cheese for a savory scone...kind of like a biscuit. That's what I love about scones. You can make them sweet or savory just by changing up the ingredients. These are light and cheesy and a great change from rolls or bread with dinner.
 

Cut them into whatever size you'd like. I wanted them a little on the small side so I cut them into little triangles which gave me a dozen. But you can cut them into rounds or squares. Just remember, they do get quite a bit larger when baked. And if you don't want to bake them all, just freeze the remaining for another time. Pop them into the oven frozen and increase your baking time by a few more minutes.

Enjoy!

Use a nice sharp chaddar cheese for more flavor.

One you have the dough lightly mixed, gently fold in the cheese and chives.

Then turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and form into a round, square or rectangle, depending on the shape you will be cutting out.

Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Scones
Makes about a dozen, depending on the size you cut.

2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 oz.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tbsp. chopped chives
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
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Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times til the butter is in small pea size pieces. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Alternately, you can use a large mixing bowl and work the butter into small pieces with your fingers.
2. In a small glass measuring cup, beat 1/2 cup of buttermilk and egg together and pour into the dry ingredients. 
3. Using a fork, lightly stir the wet into the dry, adding more buttermilk, a few tablespoons at a time, if the mixture seems too dry. But be careful not to add too much. Don't overmix!
4. Add in the cheese and chives and lightly fold it in til just incorporated. Again, don't overmix.
5. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a round, square or rectangle, depending on what shape you'll be cutting out the sections. Gently pat the dough down to about a 1" thickness.
Hint: To avoid rerolling of scraps, shape the dough into a square or rectangle, then cut the dough with a large floured sharp knife or bench scraper into squares, then again into triangles ( if you want them smaller).
6. Transfer the scones to your prepared baking sheet. If your oven isn't yet up to the correct temperature, place the scones in the freezer to keep very cold. At this point you can freeze* some (or all) of the the scones to bake at a later time.
7. Bake the scones for 14 to 18 minutes, depending on the size you cut them. They should be nice golden brown on the bottom. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, they're done! If not, give them a few more minutes.
Once baked, transfer them to a wire rack to cool...but they're best served warm from the oven!
*To freeze:  Place the cut scones onto a baking sheet and freeze til hard. Once they've gotten hard you can wrap them in waxed paper and place into a zip loc freezer bag and bake as you want them. Just add a few extra minutes to your baking time.

Pancetta Rosemary Parmesan Scones

It was such a mild day today here in the Northeast that I wanted to spend as much time as I could outside. I chose this recipe for that reason, plus I had some pancetta left over from a delicious pasta dish I made the other night called Bucatini with Onion, Bacon and Tomato from Lidia Bastianich's book, "Lidia's Italy". Obviously I used pancetta instead of the bacon and if you're looking for a great dish to make, I highly recommend it. But, as usual, I digress!

So, having the pancetta already, I knew I wanted to incorporate some other flavors with it and parmesan cheese seemed like an obvious choice and noticing other recipes called for fresh rosemary...that went in, too.

Now for the actual recipe combining those three ingredients, I based it on this scone I made with buttermilk, making it more like a biscuit, which is what I wanted to serve with dinner and I have to say not only did it work great but the scones came out just so amazing! They're light and flakey and the flavor of the cheese throughout works so well. The little bits of pancetta are delicious and the rosemary is subtle. So, I guess by now you can tell I really loved these:)

Please promise me you'll make them!

Fry the pancetta in a skillet to get nice and crispy and browned, then drain on a paper towel and cut into small pieces then set aside.
Put the dry ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Add in the parmesan cheese and chopped fresh rosemary and pulse again to combine.
Add in the butter pieces and pulse to combine.
Transfer the dry mixture into a large mixing bowl.
Mix the egg and buttermilk in a little bowl and add into the dry mixture stirring gently with a fork til it's all combined.
Then add in the pancetta at the very end and fold in gently with the fork.

Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and pat into a rectangle (my personal favorite shape!) or round, making sure the pancetta is evenly distributed. Keep the dough about 1 1/4" high.

Cut into wedges or triangles using a bench scraper.

Then transfer the scones to a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with cream or half and half or even milk if that's all you have.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or til they're nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Also test by feeling the tops, if they're nice and firm they should be done.

They're best eaten the same day you make them... really best eaten about 15 minutes just out of the oven! Best warm, and they can also be reheated. So good!

Pancetta Rosemary Parmesan Scones

Makes 9 good sized scones but can be cut into smaller triangles.

4 oz. good quality pancetta or a thick cut bacon

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup good quality parmesan cheese or a pecorino romano

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

cream or half and half and a little more cheese, for the top, (opt.)

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Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Cook the pancetta til crispy and browned, then transfer onto a paper towel, then a cutting board, and cut into 1/4 to 1/2" pieces and set aside. Trim away excess fat if there's a lot.

2. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor.* Pulse a few times to combine.

3. Add in the cheese and rosemary and pulse again to combine.

4. Add the butter pieces and pulse til mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

5. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

6. Beat the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl, then add into the flour mixture and gently stir with a fork, being sure to incorporate all the dry. If the mixture looks too dry, add in more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. Don't overwork the dough. Just stir enough to moisten.

7. Gently fold in the pancetta pieces, just til blended.

8. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a rectangle or round and pat the dough, with floured hands, to about 1 1/4" thickness. (If some of the pancetta seems to be more in one area than another, pick it out and push it into the areas that need more.)

Using a bench scraper or heavy knife, cut the dough into triangle or wedge shapes and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.

9. Brush the tops with the cream or half and half and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or til nicely browned and firm when you press down on them. Also test by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, they're done.

Optional: About 5 minutes before the scones are finished baking, sprinkle a little more cheese on top of each scone.

*Note: You don't need to have a food processor to make scones, it just makes the process a whole lot easier and quicker. I used to make them all the time without a food processor.

You'll need to just place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl, then add in the butter pieces and work them in with your fingers. Then proceed with step 6 above. The dough needs to be cold, so if you think the butter is getting too soft, place the bowl into the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill before adding in the egg and buttermilk mixture.

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

I had some leftover pumpkin from the cranberry pumpkin bread and I was inspired to try a pumpkin scone. After searching for just the right recipe, I chose this one...for two reasons. One, it sounded wonderful and two, I've never made cream scones before so this gave me a chance to do that. All the scones I've made have been with eggs, butter and either half and half or buttermilk. This recipe used only heavy cream... no eggs... no butter...and no sugar in the dough.

They're heavenly! Light, moist and the sweetness is perfect. I brushed some cream on top of them and sprinkled each with raw sugar before baking but after they came out of the oven, I also drizzled a little maple glaze on top. Next time I make them I'll definitely add some nuts...walnuts or pecans would be great.

First combine and whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In another small bowl, mix the wet ingredients.

Add the wet to the dry and mix together with a fork just til it's all combined. Be gentle though. You don't want to mix too much or overmix or they'll come out tough.

Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and shape into a circle or (what I prefer), a rectangle, making the thickness about 1 1/4".

Then take a floured scraper or large knife and cut into triangles or wedges( if using a circle).

At this point you can either bake them or freeze them. If you freeze them just bake them right out of the freezer and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

I brushed the cream and raw sugar on the scone just before baking, (if frozen, brush the frozen scone).

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Makes 6 to 8, depending on which shape you choose.

You can also cut smaller triangles, this size is great for a brunch.

Scones:

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 cup raisins or nuts(optional)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup

1-2 tbsp. cream or milk

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Preheat oven to 425, (if baking right away).

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and raisins and nuts ( if using) in a large bowl.

2. Mix the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, maple syrup and vanilla til smooth.

3. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and mix together gently with a fork, being sure to get all the dry mixed in, especially from the bottom. Add more cream if it seems a little dry.

Don't overmix the dough. Mix it all til just incorporated.

4. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and form into either a rectangle or round shape.

5. Pat the dough to about 1 1/4" thickness.

6. Cut out the shapes, either wedges or triangles using a bench scraper or large knife, floured.

7. Place the shapes onto a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with cream or milk, then sprinkle with raw sugar.

8. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Cool the scones for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.

10. Drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm scones.

These are best when eaten the same day.

Glaze:

Stir the confectioners's sugar and syrup and begin adding the cream or milk til it gets to a thin enough consistency to spoon over the scones..

Parmesan Herb Scones

I'm always up for trying new scone recipes, especially savory ones. Reading through the recipe, I thought the addition of parmesan cheese with all the herbs would be really delicious..and I was right! These are from the cookbook I recently bought, " The Spice Kitchen".
And you see those fried and baked onions on top? They are the best, crunchy with great oniony flavor.

I used mostly fresh herbs since I have so many growing in my garden.( I did use a little dried also to up the flavor). The book says you can use fresh or dried herbs for any of the recipes in the book. It's a three-to-one ratio of fresh to dried. One tablespoon of fresh herbs for each teaspoon of dried.

One important change I made was that I cut the scones into wedges before baking. The original recipe calls for scoring, then baking the rounds, then after baking, cut them apart. I've never made scones this way..and I wasn't about to start now!).

You'll be using 4 herbs, basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano and like I said above, fresh or dried.

Here they're ready to chop up.

Combine the dry ingredients, including oregano and basil in a medium bowl.

Slice your onion in very thin slices and saute in some butter til soft.

Then add in the thyme and rosemary. Set it aside for the topping.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and using a pastry blender or 2 knives ( I use my fingers), work the butter into the dry til it's the size of small crumbs.

Whisk the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl.

And add the wet to the dry, stirring with a fork til just combined. Don't overwork the dough.( I needed a little more buttermilk but you may not). It should be moist but not too wet.

Divide the dough in half and form two round balls.

Place both onto a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to 8" circles.

Score the dough...

And divide into 6 wedges ( I put the onions on top before I cut them into wedges..don't do it this way!). Cut them apart first.

Put the onions with rosemary and thyme on top.

See, I didn't cut them apart before I put the topping on and, it was still okay, just a little tricky to cut.
Then bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Parmesan Herb Scones (from "The Spice Kitchen"

Makes 12 scones.

Remember: The amounts for the herbs below are for dried. If you're subbing fresh for dried use 3 times more).

3 cups AP flour

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 baking soda

6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

Topping:

2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter

1 medium onion ( any variety), thinly sliced

1 tsp. rosemary

1/2 tsp. thyme

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the topping:

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute til tender. Stir in rosemary and thyme.

Spread the mixture evenly over both rounds.

Scones:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, cheese, baking powder, oregano, basil, salt, garlic powder and baking soda.

2. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives ( I always use my fingers) cut in the 6 tablespoons of butter til it is the size of small crumbs.

3. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl and add to dry mixture, stirring just til combined.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Handling the dough as little as possible, knead the dough 5 to 6 times. ( I don't do this step. I simply place the dough onto the parchment paper and form into a round and flatten. The less you work the dough, the better).

5. Place both balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to 8" circles. Flour your fingers to keep the dough from sticking.

6. Score the dough and divide each circle into 6 wedges. ( I also cut them apart.).

7. Sprinkle the onion topping onto the scones and bake 20 to 25 minutes, til the top is golden brown.

8. Cut into wedges ( if you didn't already) and serve.

Ginger Scones with Almond Topping

I'm still working from Nick Malgieri's book "The Modern Baker" and this time I've chosen a scone recipe. I make lots of scones each week for the Farmer's Market but I always like to try someone else's recipe. Kind of helps reassure me that my scones are really pretty darn good!
I changed the technique for making these scones a little bit. I just went back to the procedure I use all the time since I have that pretty down pat by now!
Instead of mixing everything in the food processor, I mix just up to and including the butter stage, then I transferred the dough to a bowl and mixed the wet into the dry ingredients with a fork, then a spatula. I also used a different method for the topping. Other than that...it's the same!

They really are a nice tender and light scone and I love the little taste of cinnamon with the ginger. I sprinkled some raw sugar on the top, too.
I halved the recipe ( which makes 9 scones) and I made only two today and froze the rest to bake at a later time. Freezing them makes it so convenient to be able to have them ready to bake whenever you feel like a few. You'll just have to add more time to the baking.
Begin by placing the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor.
Give that a pusle to mix everything.
Add the pieces of butter and pulse a few times to break up the butter into smaller pieces ( the size of peas..as they say!).


Then ( and this is where I changed the prodecure), transfer the dough into a large bowl and add the crystallized ginger pieces.

In a separate bowl, mix the milk and eggs together...

Add the wet ingredients to the dry (butter) mixture.

And using a fork first, mix it gently, almost in a folding motion, scooping the mixture from the bottom and bringing it up and over the top. Mine needed more milk so if yours seems a bit dry just add more milk about a tablespoon at a time til it gets a nice, fairly moist and sticky look. Just be careful not to overmix the dough!

Then switch to a rubber spatula and scoop out the dough onto a floured work surface, getting all the dough from the bowl.

You will need a bench scraper at this point so go get one ready!

Flour your hands and the bench scraper and form the dough into a rectangle.

Cut the rectangle into 3 pieces all the same size. You'll need to reflour the scraper as you cut.

Then cut each piece in half diagonally to form a triangle shape.

Flouring the scraper once more, scoop up the triangle and place it onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. ( This is where I take the dough and place it onto a piece of waxed paper to freeze. Once it's frozen, I transfer it to a zip lock bag for later baking. And there's no need to thaw the dough. It can just go from the freezer straight into the oven. You can place the topping onto the frozen scone just before baking).

If you're baking all the scones right away proceed with the topping.

Brush the tops with a little milk or half and half ( if you have it) and sprinkle the almond slices on top, crushing them just a bit. Then sprinkle with a little raw sugar, then a little cinnamon...and pop them into the oven...finally!

Bake them for about 15 minutes or til they get a nice light golden color.

Ginger Scones with Almond Topping ( adapted from Nick Malgieri's book, " The Modern Baker")
Makes 18 scones

Scone dough:

3 1/2 cups AP flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground ginger

6 tbsp. ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 12 pieces

2/3 cup crystallized ginger, cut into 1/4" pieces

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 and set rack to middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and ground ginger in the bowl of a food porcessor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse several times to mix.

2. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse til butter is in smaller pieces.

3. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the crystallized ginger and mix gently.

5. In a small bowl, mix the milk and eggs, then add to the dough. Mix gently with a fork, referring to my notes and photos above. (I did need to add more milk. if yours seems too dry, add more milk a tablespoon at a time and gently mixing with the fork.) Don't overmix the dough!

6. Switching to a rubber spatula, scoop out the dough onto a floured work surface.

7. Using a bench scraper, well floured, form the dough into a rectangle and cut into 3 same size pieces. Then cut these 3 pieces diagonally into triangles, reflouring the scraper each time you make a cut.

8. Place the triangles onto the baking sheet, spacing 2" apart.

9. Brush the tops with a little milk or half and half. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds, crushing them slightly, then sprinkle with a little raw sugar and finally some cinnamon.

10. Bake for approx. 15 minutes or til lightly browned.