Buttermilk Pumpkin-Spice Scones
“A scone and tea at half-past three makes the day a little brighter.” - Still Game, Scottish Sitcom
Why is the combination of pumpkin and cinnamon so good? There is something about those flavors that make you think of fall. Add these flavors to anything, dessert, pastry, drink and you too can feel the warmth of fall.
After going to England and stuffing my face with scones and drinking way too much tea than one should in a sitting I felt inspired to make some scones of my own. It just so happens that my grandmother had her own buttermilk scone recipe that she created back in the day. I took the liberty of adding some pumpkin and spice to this plain-Jane scones, which my grandmother would either be very proud of or completely miffed that I dare mess with a good thing.
However, grandma would feel the recipe produce beautifully buttery, delicious scones. Scones are one of those pastries that can be eaten as a snack, at breakfast, or enjoyed as an after-dinner dessert. They are not too sweet but enough to satisfy a craving for something that is missing in your daily noshing.
It’s also a quite simple pastry to make. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients, form into a ball and pop it into the oven. The only thing to keep in mind is that mixing the cold butter with a pastry mixer, or blender, is the best option for getting the right consistency for the scones.
I hope you enjoy these scones as much as I did. They pair well with a cinnamon or chai tea, just in case you would like to pretend you're having high tea with a duchess or something, I don’t judge your fantasies.
Ingredients
1 egg
½ cups of buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup of canned pumpkin
2 ½ cups of flour
⅓ cups of sugar
½ teaspoon of baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons of butter, chilled
Steps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Combine egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and pumpkin in a small bowl.
Combine dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Mix egg mixture with dry ingredients (do not over mix).
Add butter and cut into the mixture with a pastry mixer until mixture appears crumbly
Mound mixture into a well-rounded ball
Put on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Take out of the oven and put on a cooling rack, cut into pieces once fully cooled. Add a drizzle of maple syrup if you are feeling in the mood.