on the table: Pumpkin scones and a good book

Recipe from Courtney Warren 

In memoriam of the Queen passing, I wanted to share a treasured recipe in our house. 

Berit and I love to have tea parties with the fine china. When I say tea parties, I mean a full-blown afternoon tea with a tower of treats. This is one of our favorite teas, as well as treats. I also paired it with a fun story to gear up for fall and Halloween.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling is about Vivienne Jones, who, while nursing her broken heart, cast a curse on an old boyfriend. It’s not until years later, when Grave Glen, Georgia, is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a ticked-off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say, that she realizes she probably had something to do with it. 

Break out the hot tea, pumpkin scones, and this book for a quirky rom-com to get you in the mood for the spooky holiday. 
This pumpkin scones recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Pair it with Earl Grey Moonlight tea from Adagio Tea Company.

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients: 
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter
⅓ plus 2 Tblsp. heavy cream, divided
1 large egg
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
½ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
 

Maple Glaze

Ingredients: 
2 Tblsp. unsalted butter
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt, to taste
 

Directions:
1.     Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Adjust baking rack to the middle-low position. Line 1 or 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat(s). If making mini scones, I use 2 baking sheets. Set aside.
2.     Make the scones: Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter (I use a box grater). Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and combine it with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. Set aside.
3.     Whisk 1/3 cup heavy cream, the egg, blotted pumpkin (see note), brown sugar, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then mix it all together until everything appears moistened.
4.     With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can and transfer onto a floured work surface. Press into a neat 8-inch disc and, with a very sharp knife, cut into 8 equal wedges. To make smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 equal wedges. (Larger scones are pictured in this blog post.)
5. Place scones at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s). Using a pastry brush, brush scones with the remaining heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. (Gives a nice crunch!)
6.     Bake the larger scones for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. If you made 16 smaller scones, bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes as you prepare the icing.
7.  Make the glaze: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and maple syrup together, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Taste and add a pinch of salt if desired. Drizzle over warm scones.
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