Pumpkin Spice Scones.

It was only a matter of time.

It's October.

And October = pumpkin spice scones! 

This is another fall recipe that I wanted to make last year, but didn't because, well, let's face it, these scones are just a fancy excuse for eating giant, cakey pumpkin spice cookie-wedges covered in cinnamon-sugar glazes for breakfast.  

I'm okay with that.

Sometimes figuring out what to bake around here can be a headache. 

I don't like crispy cookies, my parents do. They like nuts in their cookies and pancakes... do not even get me started. My dad doesn't like mint or lemon, my mom doesn't like cinnamon with chocolate or anything sweet with peanut butter. My boyfriend doesn't like mini M&Ms, sweet things for breakfast, burnt marshmallow s'mores, or sugary frostings.

Frosting! Honestly, what am I getting into here? It's a good thing we're in love and all that. 

As for me? Well. We all know that pumpkin things are my weakness (right after Lofthouse cookies and frozen cupcakes), so the thought of making 18 super thick, freshly-glazed scones both terrified and excited me. Really, I should've figured out a pumpkin scones for two recipe... but sometimes I just want to bake something without all the math. <-- is bad at fractions.

Luckily everyone loved these and they disappeared fast. Like... within 48 hours. And as someone maybe slightly obsessed with the Starbucks version, I have to say these were pretty close... and maybe even slightly better. I think next time I would add a little more cinnamon to the scones and make the glazes a little bit thicker, but other than that, these were perfect. And I kind of wish there were some left.  

Make me some? 

P.S. I highly recommend putting your fresh-baked scones on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, drizzling the two glazes over the top, and then moving them to a fancy plate... all so you can scoop up that extra cinnamon-sugar glaze with a spoon. I did not do that. 

Seriously. I didn't.

Okay, fine. Totally guilty. Look at you, knowing me and all. 

Pumpkin Spice Scones

Printable Recipe

Scones

1/2 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree

3 tablespoons half-and-half (I used heavy cream)

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

Sugar Glaze

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Spiced Glaze

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground ginger

Pinch of cloves

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half-and-half, and egg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Add the cubed butter on top. Cut together using a fork or pastry blender until it reaches the consistency of coarse cornmeal (pieces of butter should be no larger than a small pea).

Gradually fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, using a spatula, wooden spoon, or your hands. Make sure all the dry ingredients have been moistened well.

On a well-floured surface, flatten and form the dough into a 12 inch x 4 inch x 1 inch-thick rectangle.

Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, divide the rectangle into three equal pieces, then cut each piece into four smaller triangles by making an "X" through them.

Place scones on baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until just light brown. Remove to cooling rack and let cool before icing.

To make the powdered sugar glaze, mix all ingredient together, then brush over the tops of cooled scones using a pastry brush.

After the glaze has set (about 10 minutes or so), make the spiced glaze by mixing all ingredients together. Drizzle onto scones (I put mine in a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off).

Let icing set (or not) and enjoy!

Source: Brown-Eyed Baker.  

Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Scones.

Monkey bread + scones + the sweet, buttery, maple deliciousness of pancakes = 

These. 

Maple pecan pull-apart scones.

Swoon.

I made these for Mother's Day since my mom likes anything I make scones and maple and the pull-apart fun of monkey bread. 

And also because I love her and she's the best mom in the world. 

On the outside the scones are crisp and flaky, with a sugary crust and a rich, melt-in-your-mouth maple icing, but on the inside they're as light and tender as a buttery biscuit, full of pecans and maple flavor, but not so much that it's overpowering or super sweet. 

If there's such a thing as a maple pancake scone, then that's what these taste like. Even my dad loved these... and I'm pretty sure I've never seen him eat a scone. 

Ever. 

Maybe it has something to do with this icing?

Either way, they're fast, fun, and easy to throw together, they bake up quickly, and warm from the oven with a spoonful of icing will make any morning a little more special, whether it's a Mother's Day or Monday. 

Bake them? Please?

Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Scones

Printable Recipe

Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 heavy whipping cream
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/4 cup sugar

Maple Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup chopped pecans.

Combine whipping cream, egg yolks, and 1 teaspoon maple flavoring in small bowl; beat with wire whisk until well mixed. Pour whipping cream mixture into flour mixture; stir until a moist dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; gently knead 10 times or until smooth.

Place sugar in small bowl. Roll dough into 48 (1-inch) balls. Roll each ball of dough in sugar. Place 3 balls of dough into bottom of each muffin cup...

... and top with another ball ball of dough.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 2 minutes. Remove from pan; place onto cooling rack.

To make the maple glaze, combine powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon maple flavoring, and enough milk for desired glaze consistency (I used a little more than 3 teaspoons) in a small bowl until well mixed. Drizzle glaze over warm scones.

Makes 12 scones.

Source: Land O' Lakes Recipe Collection: Harvest Baking Magazine.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies.

I have a problem. 

I kind of love strawberries.

In a normal day, I will consume: a big cup of Dunkin Donuts strawberry shortcake coffee, wild strawberry-flavored water, a small bowl of fresh strawberries, sometimes frozen, because I'm weird, sometimes with strawberry yogurt, cuz that just seems more healthy, more strawberries snuck throughout the day when no one's looking because I'm convinced I'm starving, & sometimes, if my own wiggling isn't enough, strawberry Jello.

So it was only a matter of time really before strawberries found their way into my cookies too. 

I immediately fell in love with the idea of these and was so, so excited to try them. What could be more perfect than a strawberry shortcake cookie? 

I mean, unless, somewhere in the world, a strawberry shortcake cheesecake exists. Because we all know how I feel about cheesecake.

These bitesize cookies reminded me more of a strawberry muffin top or miniature scone: tender and soft and cakey on the inside & slightly crisp and golden brown on the outside. They were everything I love about shortcake, light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth, and bursting with springtime flavor (and strawberries!). You can even see the flecks of lemon zest in them. 

They're best eaten the day that they're made... or for breakfast the next.

Especially with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between two fluffy cookies. 

Or crumbled warm over ice cream. 

Or covered in whipped cream. 

I love spring.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Printable Recipe

12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling over the cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and remaining sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until moist and fragrant.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the zest/sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Using a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs. Add the cream to the bowl and stir until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in the strawberry mixture.

Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool. The cookies are best the day they're made, but can be kept in an airtight container for 1 day.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Source: From Pink Parsley Catering.