Squash Scones

Every fall, I cook down squash that I will keep handy in the freezer specifically for this recipe. All my boys love these squash scones. I’ve even had request to make them for a school snack last winter. Of course, I think they are best served with a hot cup of tea.

Every person’s results will be different as every squash has varying moisture content. If it doesn’t come out right for you the first time, try another variety.

Scone Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR
  • 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 cubes
• 1/2 cup squash puree
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1 large egg

Spiced Glaze Ingredients (substitute vanilla in place of these spices for regular glaze)

• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground ginger
  • Pinch of ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the pumpkin, half-and-half, and egg. Reserve.
3. Sift together into a large mixing bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spices.  Add the cubed butter on top.
4. Either using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer on medium speed, mix the butter and dry ingredients until your reach the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Pieces of butter should be no larger than a small pea.
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  You may have to use our hands to get that last bit of flour to incorporate into a well formed dough ball. The dough is not very uniform and that is acceptable.  The important thing is to make sure all the dry ingredients have been moistened well or the finished scone will be very crumbly.
6. On a lightly-floured surface, flatten and form the dough into a 1” thick rectangle. Then using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, divide the rectangle into equal triangular pieces. I like to cut my rectangle in half, then thirds, then X each of the six pieces to make 12 scones. Feel free to make them smaller if you prefer, just shorten cooking time one or two minutes.
7. Use a spatula to carefully place the triangles of dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until light brown. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool before icing.
8. Make the powdered sugar glaze by blending sugar and spices, then add the milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the tops of the scones. You could also dip the scones in the glaze if it works for you.

Please be aware that you can use pumpkin puree, but not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already has the spices included.

Recipe adapted from shoeboxkitchen.com