Homemade Pumpkin Scones with Candied Ginger and Maple Glaze are a fall favorite. They make a comforting addition to brunch or for sharing around the fire. Freezer friendly for make ahead ease.
Y’all, this is not a copycat Starbucks recipe. Just sayin…. These pumpkin scones are different. I hope you don’t mind.
I’m not quite done with pumpkin this season. Seems as though the recipes have waned a bit in the bloggosphere even though it’s almost Thanksgiving. I’m not tired of it and I haven’t quite gotten my fill.
I decided this fall, pumpkin is my favorite winter squash, over butternut, kabocha, delicata, carnival, or even acorn.
My favorite varieties are winter luxury and sugar pie although there are more to choose from. Not that I don’t like the others, it’s just that these two seem to be the most delectable!
Pumpkin is a versatile veggie and can be applied in savory or sweet recipes. It has a long storage life, whips up into a silky smooth puree and freezes well. It can be used in pancakes, risotto, mac and cheese and so many things in between.
Pumpkin scones are easy to make and are an impressive pastry to offer friends and family. They freeze well prior to baking, so pull a few out of this batch (prior to egg washing) and pop em’ in the freezer for a quick treat later when you just don’t have time to make a new batch. Thaw in the fridge overnight, egg wash and bake as usual.
Scones come in many forms and flavors. Let your imagination guide your scone desire! Cut them in circles using a can, glass or biscuit cutter, 3X3 squares or cut the squares on the diagonal to create mini scones for a special tea or get together.
Infuse scones with lemon and poppy seeds, orange and cranberries, lemon and blueberries, or lemon and sour cherries; the flavor combinations are endless.
I chose candied ginger and pumpkin, because I adore the flavor and texture of pumpkin, and it’s in season. I ran across some candied ginger at the Co-Op and I couldn’t help myself! Pumpkin and ginger make a satisfying combination.
These would make a fine snack on an afternoon walk or on a slow weekend morning reading a book by the fire. Serve warm with extra maple glaze for slathering, if desired.
Wash it down with your favorite tea or latte, hot or iced.
Pumpkin Scones with Candied Ginger and Maple Glaze
Ingredients
For the Scones:
- 1/2 C Unsalted Butter Cold, Cut into 1/4" cubes (108 g or 1 Stick)
- 1 C White Whole Wheat Flour 164 g, aka Ivory Wheat Flour
- 1 C All Purpose Flour 180 g
- 2 Tbs Organic Corn Starch
- 1/3 C Light Brown Sugar 62 g
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt or fine grain salt
- 1/4 C Candied Ginger rough chop (66 g) (AKA crystalized ginger)
- 1/2 C Heavy Cream 120 mL
- 1/2 C Pumpkin Puree fresh or canned* (not pumpkin pie) 126 g
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
To Finish:
- 1 Tbs Egg + 1 Water
- 2 tsp Raw Sugar (sugar in the raw turbinado or demerara sugar) (optional)
Maple Glaze:
- 1 C Powdered Sugar 106 g
- 1/4 C Maple Syrup 60 mL
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1/2 scraped out vanilla bean or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the cold butter into 1/4" cubes and place in the freezer while prepping the other ingredients.
- Sift the whole wheat white flour, all purpose flour, corn starch, brown sugar, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cold butter to the sifted ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter into the pastry.(You can use your fingers here, but I like to keep the butter as cold as possible). The butter should be about pea sized, evenly coated, and distributed in the flour. Stir in the candied ginger.
- In a spouted bowl, mix the cream, pumpkin puree and vanilla bean paste and pour into the flour mixture. Gently stir the mixture until the flour is just moistened. The dough will be shaggy and seem dry.
- Dump the contents out of the bowl onto a flour dusted work surface and start folding the dough over and onto itself 10-12 times (this helps build layers), while eventually pressing the dough together forming a circle. The dough will seem dry at first, but as it is folded it will begin to hydrate. Use a bench scraper to help you gather the bits of dough and to fold the dough over onto itself. Work gently, but quickly as the dough needs to stay cold and overworking the dough can cause the scones to flatten while baking. If the dough becomes sticky pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill. Roll the dough out to 3/4" thick circle and cut into 8 wedges. Place scones on the parchment lined sheet pan, cover and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. (At this point, the scones can be held in the fridge overnight for a quick bake in the morning. Just make sure they are wrapped tightly). Preheat oven to 425F while the scones are resting in the fridge.
- Before baking, whip the egg and water. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg mixture over the scones. Sprinkle the optional raw sugar evenly over the top of each scone (it's for the crunch!).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. For a dryer scone, turn the oven off, leave the scones in the oven, and prop the oven door open for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and carefully transfer scones to a cooling rack. While cooling, sift the powdered sugar. Add the maple syrup and vanilla bean paste to the powdered sugar and mix throughly with a fork. The scone should be warm, but cool enough to handle now. Use a small whisk or fork to drizzle the glaze over the scones. Best served fresh and warm.
- Store in a covered container for up to two days.
These look delicious! I can’t wait to try them. Yummy!!!
Hi Janice! Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the recipe! :D