Tender Spiced Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Pumpkin scones with candied ginger and maple glaze setting on a cooling rack.

Tender Spiced Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Tender, and lightly sweetened, these pumpkin scones are a tasty seasonal snack for a lazy afternoon or brunch. They feature pumpkin puree', pumpkin pie spices and heavy cream to make them tender and not too dry with a crunchy raw sugar sprinkle on top! They're make ahead ready and freezer friendly. With optional candied ginger or sweetened dried cranberries* (see recipe notes), these scones are such a treat!

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Pumpkin Scones

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings Scones

Calories 430kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/3 cup (325 grams) All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
1/3 cup (65 grams) Light Brown Sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice see recipe note for DIY
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter one stick, cold, straight from refrigerator

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup (120 grams) Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup (125 grams) Pumpkin Puree fresh or canned (not pumpkin pie) - add one Tablespoon of water if using canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Just Before Baking:

1 Egg + 1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons Turbinado Sugar or raw/demerara sugar

Maple Glaze:

1 cup (106 grams) Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup (60 grams) Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or 1/2 scraped vanilla bean

Instructions

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and make room in the freezer for the pan. Set aside.
Mix the Dry Ingredients: Whisk the all purpose flour, corn starch, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
To the flour mixture, grate in the cold butter (just from the fridge) using the largest holes on a grater. Toss the butter with the flour just to coat the butter.
The butter should remain cold and pliable throughout the mixing process. If the butter starts getting melty, pop the whole bowl in the freezer (before adding any liquid) for about 10 minutes. Stir in the candied ginger or dried cranberries now if using (*see recipe notes). Make a well in the center. Set aside.
Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a spouted bowl, whisk the cream, pumpkin puree (+ water if using canned pumpkin puree) and vanilla extract.
Mix/Shape the Scones: Working quickly, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to gently stir the mixture until the flour is just moistened. There still should be some dry patches of flour. Use your hand to scoop the dough up and fold it over on top of itself. Do this 10-12 times (this helps build layers). The dough will be a shaggy mess.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead/press the dough together to form a disk. Use a bench scraper to help you gather the bits of dough and to fold the dough over onto itself. The dough will seem dry at first, but as it is folded it will begin to hydrate.
Work gently, but quickly as the dough needs to stay cold. If the dough becomes too sticky, pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.
Reflour your work surface and flour your rolling pin. Roll the dough out to 3/4 inch thick circle that's about 7-7 1/2 inches in diameter and cut into eight wedges using a knife in one quick motion down. No sawing here. Place scones on the parchment lined sheet pan, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Make Ahead**: At this point, scones may be frozen solid for a quick bake in the morning or for longer storage.
Bake: While the scones are in the freezer, arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit (218 Celsius). Just before baking, crack the egg in a small bowl and whisk with a tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the top of the scones with the egg wash then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425 Fahrenheit, then reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 Fahrenheit, baking an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden. The tips of the scones may get dark (it's okay!). The internal temperature of the scones, when checked with a digital food thermometer should be 200 – 210 Fahrenheit (93 – 99 Celsius)when done. 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 transfer scones to a cooling rack.
Make the Drizzle: While the scones are cooling, whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add a teaspoon of water to thin the drizzle. The scones should be warm, but cool enough to handle now. Use a small whisk or fork to drizzle the glaze over the scones.
To Store: These scones are best served fresh and warm. Store covered at room temperature for up to two days. Store drizzle at room temperature with a piece of cling wrap directly over the surface of the mixture. This keeps it from getting crusty.
To Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scones individually on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag or storage container for up to two weeks. Frozen scones can go straight from freezer to oven baking a few minutes longer if needed.
To Freeze After Baking: Allow scones to cool completely before freezing. Freeze scones individually on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag or storage container for up to two weeks.
To Rewarm: Thaw at room temperature, then rewarm scones in a 350 Fahrenheit oven for about 5-8 minutes.

Notes

*Optional Candied/Crystalized Ginger: rough chop 1/4 cup (65 grams) of candied ginger.

*Optional Dried Cranberries: 3/4 cup (100 grams) of sweetened dried cranberries. If your cranberries seem dry, you can rehydrate them by soaking in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and use a paper towel to dry them off.

**Scones can be frozen before baking. Freeze on a parchment lined sheet pan, then transfer to a storage container for longer storage. The scones can be baked from frozen. When ready to bake, egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and bake adding a few more minutes on to bake time.

Egg Free Scones: Instead of using an egg wash, you can brush the tops of your scones with heavy cream.

To make pumpkin pie spice, mix 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

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