Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Another pumpkin recipe! Not out of the ordinary at all for me this time of year, as I tend to put pumpkin in everything, but exciting nonetheless.

You can never have too much pumpkin! I always say...

But really, there is an abundance of this nutrient-dense, widely applicable squash this time of year, so get it while it is in season! After Halloween, many places practically give pumpkins away (the pumpkin I last bought was from a farm stand at the market where every pumpkin was $1, regardless of size). Plus: when you buy pumpkins, not only do you have the flesh with which you can make innumerable pumpkin baked goods or add to any assortment of things such as smoothies, oatmeal, risotto, pasta (the list goes on and on) BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE SEEDS. Roast them! Snacks for days!

It's such a magical squash. I absolutely adore pumpkin.

For this particular recipe, I used pureed pumpkin that I made by simply roasting a large, de-seeded and cut-up pumpkin in the oven at 425 for about 30-40 minutes (or until the flesh is soft), removing the outer skin and then pureeing it in my vitamix for about a minute. I then distributed the pumpkin puree among 3 containers, leaving on in the fridge and placing two in the freezer for later use.

You could theoretically roast up as much pumpkin as you liked and place it in freezer safe containers and have pumpkin puree all year! And all from a $1 pumpkin! Your yield will be about 10X that of canned pumpkin and for a fraction of the price. So neat.

Pumpkin Scones w/Maple Glaze

I made these scones on the smaller side (mini scones!) but feel free to make them larger if that suits your purpose :)

For the Scones  

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold Earth Balance
• 1 cup homemade pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• Almond milk, for consistency

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir together until fully mixed.

Using 2 knives or a pastry cutter, cut the cold Earth Balance into the dry mix until crumbly.

Mix in the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and almond milk until a thick dough is formed.

Form the dough into 2 circles (3/4 - 1 inch in depth). Use a super sharp knife to cut into 8 equal wedges (per dough - 16 wedges total).

Place the scones in the oven and cook for 13-14 minutes (for little guys) or 16-17 minutes (for larger guys).

After the scones have cooled slightly, top them with maple glaze and chopped walnuts. 

For the Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp high quality salt
• 1 Tbsp melted Earth Balance
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup maple syrup 
• Almond milk, for consistency (I made my glaze a little thinner but it's totally up to you!) 
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely

Whisk together all ingredients except almond milk and walnuts in a medium bowl. Add almond milk until you reach desired consistency.

Using a large spoon, drizzle and smooth glaze over scones evenly. While still sticky, top with chopped walnuts. 

These are so pretty and a GREAT choice for use of pumpkin. They are relatively low in sugar and all around a great fall snack. Pair with a chai tea latte and you have exemplified the season in food-form.

Enjoy!

Live long and prosper. And put pumpkin in everything. Tis the season.